The Night Shift- A New Hope
by Nyrandrea
Summary: Everything was normal for Mike Schmidt. Well, as normal as it could get when four murderous animatronics were out for his blood every night. But when one of them finally realises that Mike is not, in fact, an endoskeleton, things take a turn and his 'normal' life takes on a dramatic change.
1. The Attack

Summary- Everything was normal for Mike Schmidt. Well, as normal as it could get when four murderous animatronics were out for his blood every night. But when one of them finally realises that Mike is not, in fact, an endoskeleton, things take a turn and his 'normal' life takes on a dramatic change.

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To say Mike was nervous was a huge understatement. He was **terrified.**

He had 25% power left and it was 4:45am

' _Wonderful. I'm only on my third week, and already I'm going to die.'_ Mike thought to himself as he checked through the cameras in a panicked frenzy.

Michael Schmidt was a young man entering his twenties. He rented a low budget flat and was completely on his own. The only way to get the rent paid was to find a job since he couldn't really rely on anyone else for a loan. His parents were dead, his girlfriend had left him for **another** guy and he didn't exactly have a lot of friends, and there was no way he would go to any of those loan companies. He hated borrowing money from strangers, plus the interest was just staggering. No, he'd find his own way.

..Somehow.

He'd tried many places. Shops, Offices, Diners, but nobody would take him on. He couldn't exactly blame them though. Who the Hell would want to hire a pale, thin guy with no experience whatsoever? However, he managed to catch a lucky break when he saw an article in the paper...

* _Flashback to three weeks earlier*_

 _"Freddy Fazbears Pizza, where fantasy and fun come to life. How may I help you?"_

The person on the other line sounded incredibly bored, but Mike decided to focus more on the goal at hand.

"Um. Hello. I'm calling you in regards to the..." He squinted as he looked at the article. "...Night Guard position. Is the position still available?"

The line went silent for a moment before the response came, _"Yeah. You're hired. Come on down tonight at...11pm so we can show you the ropes and get you settled in."_

Wait...that was it? He blinked as he spoke again, "But...don't you need to interview me fir-" The line was cut before he could even finish. He blinked again as he put the phone down.

"Well that was...easy."

* _Present*_

"Damn it..." Mike's hands were getting sweaty as he clung to the tablet, flicking through each camera.

Bonnie was near the stage. Foxy was peering out of his Cove, head positioned at an awkward angle as he sadistically grinned at the camera. Freddy was in the woman's bathroom, although he was barely visible, the only givaway being two white pinpricks in the darkness. Why Freddy would go in there was beyond him. It was damn creepy, that's for sure. Wait. Where was Chica?

 ***CRASH***

Mike jumped out of his seat as he heard the noise but quickly calmed down as he realised it came from the kitchen signaling that the chicken was currently there. He had everyone in his vision then. Good.

He glanced down at the camera to see that he had 15% left and it was 5:30 am now. If he kept conserving power, then maybe he would make it. Maybe.

' _Please just let me survive another night. I can't die. Not like this.'_

Another noise caught his attention. It sounded like...running?

 _'...Shit.'_

Mike checked the camera for Pirate's Cove and his eyes widened when he saw the curtains were wide open.

"Shit!"

He slammed his fist onto the left door shutter, only to be met with an odd clicking sound.

"What?! Don't tell me it's fucking broken!" He punched it again, which he deeply regretted as he nearly broke his hand in the process. That was the least of his worries though as the steps got louder and more fast-paced. He tried shutting the door again but it wouldn't budge. This had never happened to him before.

' _Shit. What do I do? What CAN I do?!'_

He looked wildly around the office, his heart pounding out of his chest as if it was threatning to burst out.

Was this it? Was he going to get gutted and shoved into a suit by some...pirate fox robot?!

"Fuck this...If I go down, I'm taking that thing with me."

He rumaged quickly through the desk, slightly relieved when he found a metal pole conveniantly wedged between the desk and the wall. He pulled it out and faced the door. He knew this was stupid but nothing better was coming to mind.

His body trembled and he felt his knees get weak as the fox was running toward the office at full sprint now. Maybe...this wasn't such a good idea. But what other choice did he have? If he tried to run, the others would surely catch him. There was nowhere to hide in the office. No. He'd just need to meet this monster head on.

The metal fox screeched to a halt, right in front of him and stared down at the man, his glowing, yellow plastic eyes piercing into Mike's petrified blue ones. He finally got a good look at the animatronic. He was very worn down, there was a giant rip down his torso which revealed a part of his endoskeleton. The bottom half of the suit was also gone, showing his bare and thin metal legs and feet, his hand was also bare. His bottom jaw looked as though it was broken as it hung loose, revealing a row of sharp teeth. Mike was pretty sure then, that he was going to die.

They stared eachother down before Foxy took a step forward, raised his sharp hook and screeched into the man's face.

Mike screamed and swung the pole.

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A/N- Well. My first story. I'm not gonna lie, I'm a little nervous about this. Please tell me if the first chapter is ok and criticism is also welcome! Thank you so much for your time! Till next time. Peace out!


	2. The Misunderstanding

Thank you very much for the support that you have given me so far. It may not look like much but when I saw that first review, I nearly flipped a damn table. I was that overjoyed. Was I overreacting? Probably. Anyhow, enough of this. On to the next chapter!

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"Argh!"

Mike felt like his arms were about to get pulled out of their sockets when the pole made contact with the metal fox, smashing it against the side of his face. The fox lost his footing and stumbled to the side slightly, holding his muzzle.

"What in the bloody blazes did ye do _that_ for?!" Foxy growled as he rubbed the small dent the pole left in his face.

Mike just stared in shock as he kept a firm grip on his only weapon.

"Y-you can _talk._.?"

Foxy raised his eyepatch and gave the guard a confused look.

"Aye...Course I can talk, yer circuits come loose or something?" He tilted his head.

"...What? I don't...have circuits. I'm a human. Um. See?" Mike held the pole under his arm and held up his hand, pinching his skin slightly. "Human skin, no...wires, no circuits, just...flesh." He held onto the metal pole again, just in case the robot tried anything, he was slightly surprised when the fox rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"Oh aye, we've only heard _that excuse_ a million times. Now c'mon mate, yer gonna have to get back into costume. Tis the rules after all." He reached out with his good hand to grab the guard by the back of his shirt. However, Mike managed to duck in the nick of time, scrambling away from the towering animatronic, holding out his weapon once again.

"N-no! Get away from me! Back off!" He swung, only to have the pole yanked out of his hands as Foxy crushed it into a pitiful scrap of junk, throwing it to the side before continuing his advance on the petrified guard, who was now trying to climb on the desk in an attempt to avoid the fox's reach.

"Please...I already told you, I'm human! Y'know...like the day staff! Look!" Mike quickly unpinned his name tag and held it out in front of him, although he feared that he might drop it due to his hands trembling so much. "See? M-my name's Mike Schmidt, I'm the Night Guard! I work here! I'm not an endoskeleton! Please, you gotta believe me!" Foxy pushed his jaw back into place with his hook and narrowed his eyes as he examined the name tag.

"Hmmm...But all tha other ones that came in at night were endo's too." Foxy looked back up at the guard, tilting his head again. "All of em claimed they be human too. What makes ye any differen'?"

Mike glanced down at the tablet. 5.50am. Maybe if he kept the animatronic distracted for long enough, he could make it. There was no activity from the others either. Not even Freddy. Maybe this was his lucky break after all..

"Well..I.." He looked around nervously. He had to think of something to say and fast. He couldn't keep the robot that could probably snap his neck in a split second waiting for long. His life was on the line after all. A very thin line.

Suddenly, his face brightened up slightly as he had an idea. Giving a nervous smile, he spoke up.

"When I was a kid, I used to come here a lot to see you guys. You had your own show back then, right? All the kids loved it, myself included."

This caught Foxy's attention as the robot perked up slightly, giving the guard a curious look. It even looked a little...hopeful.

"Ye did? Ye saw ol' Foxy when he was back in his prime, eh?"

Mike nodded vigorously. All he had to do now was keep him talking. Just until the end of his shift, he wanted to look down at the tablet but he didn't want Foxy to catch on to what he was doing. It shouldn't be long now. He was beginning to feel like a bit of an idiot, standing on a desk while having a coversation with a kid's animatronic.

 _'Why did I take this job again?'_ He bitterly questioned himself. _'Oh right. Because I'm a fucking idiot.'_

Mike decided to focus on Foxy again as he began to talk.

"Oh I used to love the wee mateys. They'd listen to this old sea dog ramble on about tales of the Seven Seas. They'd join me on adventures with maps, monsters and treasures!" Foxy waved his hook around in an enthusiastic manner, as if he was back in his cove, entertaining the kids. This made Mike flinch and lean back a bit, afraid Foxy might catch his hook on his shoulder if he kept swinging it about like that.

"I'd take care of em if they got hurt or if they had any troubles on their minds.." The fox sighed, his ears lowering slightly. "I really miss it. Looking after the kiddies."

Mike frowned. This was new. He'd never seen this much...emotion come from a machine. Did he actually feel...sad? But how? Was it even possible? It was a little unsettling to be honest, but he couldn't really help but feel a little sorry for the poor robot, even if he had been trying to kill him.

He shifted slightly , nearly stepping on some paper that was scattered on the desk. These minutes were beginning to feel like hours. Why on earth hadn't the other animatronics attacked yet? After all, he was pretty vulnerable right now. He shook his head. Now was not the time to be thinking about that. He decided to keep the conversation flowing.

"Well, I loved your stories when I was little. Your cove was always my first priority whenever I came here. My parents used to take me all the time." He felt a slight pang in his heart as he mentioned his parents.

Foxy looked back up at him.

"Tha' so mate? Hm..." The fox took a moment to tap his chin, seemingly in deep thought. "..Come down for a wee minute, would ye? I promise I won' hurt ye." He took a step back.

Mike blinked.

"Y-you want me to come down..?"

The robot nodded.

"Aye. I wanna get a closer look at ye. See for meself that yer no an endo'."

Not having much of a choice, Mike slowly lowered himself and climbed down from the desk, landing on the carpeted floor.

 _'Crap. Why hasn't the bell sounded yet? Shouldn't my shift be done by now?!'_

Mike felt himself get extremely nervous as Foxy gently grabbed his arm, lowering his head to examine it.

"Ye do seem a bit...squishier than a normal endo'.."

Mike fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"That's because I'm _not_ an endo'." He pulled his arm away. "That's what I keep trying to tell you. Surely you gotta believe me by now." Mike gave Foxy a hopeful look as the fox crossed his metal arms.

"Well..."

 ***DING DONG***

Both of them looked around as the bell chimes sounded throughout the building. He had done it. He had actually done it. He managed to survive another night by the skin of his teeth. He sighed slightly in relief and resisted the urge to start cheering and dancing as he realised that Foxy was still there with him.

"I'll give ye the benefit of the doubt, lad. Ye seem like yer human. Well, ye act like one anyway. I'll make me mind up by tomorrow. I wouldn't hold yer breath though."

With that, the fox disappeared down the hallway. Leaving Mike alone in the office.

He never thought he would have survived tonight, let alone actually _talk_ to an animatronic, one that had been Hell bent on killing him, or in their terms, 'Putting him back into costume.' It was so...strange though. Foxy displayed emotions that Mike had never seen from any kind of machine. He actually looked like he was longing to be back in his show, to be able to interact with kids again. It was so...human. Maybe they were just misunderstood, if he could somehow get through to them then..who knows? Perhaps he could even become friends with them.

 _'Yeah. Then pigs will fly.'_ Mike chuckled to himself and left, deciding he would clean up the disaster room that was his office another day. He was too exhausted to deal with it now. He walked down the hallway and came face to face with the Show Stage. Freddy, Bonnie and Chica were already back in their positions, ready for another day of entertaining children.

"Why didn't you guys attack me when you had the chance...?" He questioned more to himself than the robots. Did they also feel emotions? Did they have personalities? Did they know he was human? Or did they also mistake him for an endoskeleton? Maybe there was a way to re-program them? It would be a big relief if he could find a way to stop them from hunting him for the rest of his time here. However long that would be. He shook his head. He'd figure it out tomorrow. He needed to get home and sleep. The adrenaline that was pumping through his system before was quickly diminishing.

The three main animatronics onstage remained lifeless as the lights around the restaurant came back to life, Mike watched them for a moment before pushing the doors open, letting the crisp morning air hit him like a wave. It felt wonderful. He would never take moments like this for granted again. Not after being so close to death.

Unbeknownst to him, Freddy watched closely as the guard walked out. He had listened to every word during the little exchange. The bear grinned ever so slightly as his mechanical ears twitched.

' _ **This makes things a little more...interesting."**_

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A/N- Alrighty. I tried to make this chapter a little longer. Hope it's ok! Please tell me what you think! Criticism is also welcome. Please don't be mean about it though, k? I'm pretty damn sensitive. Till next time. Peace out!

'


	3. The Start of Something New

Are these chapters coming out too fast? I dunno. I'm just like...so eager to get this story out. I'm just kinda winging it tbh. Hope y'all enjoy!

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Mike slowly opened his eyes and winced when the sun's rays blinded him.

 _'How long have I been asleep...?'_

He lazily turned his head to look at his alarm clock. It was 4pm in the afternoon. This was pretty early for him. Resisting the temptation to roll over and doze, he got up and made his way through his dump of an apartment wearing only his shirt and shorts. It was pitifully small, the living room and kitchen were basically combined together. The bedroom and bathroom were so compacted that even a mouse would feel claustrophobic. It was all he could afford though. He went to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water before sitting down on the couch. He finally had some time to think.

He rubbed his temples as he tried to remember what had happened the night before.

 _'Went to work. Checked the cameras. Animatronics were after me. Door wouldn't work and..'_

Ah yes. The incident with Foxy.

In normal circumstances, he wouldn't have been sitting here. He'd be sitting in some bloodied up Freddy Fazbear suit with his eyes and teeth popping out. He shuddered at the thought.

 _'Yeah...maybe I shouldn't be thinking about that.'_

This made Mike think though. He had managed to stop Foxy from killing him. Even if it was only for a few minutes. It saved his life.

But what about tonight?

Would he have to go back to checking cameras, conserving power and worry about killer robots? He wasn't sure how much more he could take. He was only on his third week and already he was a nervous wreck. He jumped at every sound, flinched at shadows and nearly screamed every time he heard 'The Toreador March' being played. This job was making him loopy, that was for sure.

If he could _somehow_ talk to them. Make them realise that he was not, in fact, an endoskeleton...

Easier said than done though.

He was terrified of them. Who wouldn't be? They were giant, creepy ass animal robots that _killed_ people.

There was talk of them being haunted too. He shuddered. He hated anything paranormal. Mike sighed and sunk back into the couch. He thought back to what Foxy had said the night before.

 _"I'll give ye the benefit of the doubt, lad. Ye seem like yer human. Well, ye act like one anyway. I'll make me mind up by tomorrow. I wouldn't hold yer breath though."_

This worried Mike. He didn't know if Foxy had accepted the truth or if he would have to deal with a giant metal fox attacking him again. He knew he wouldn't be so lucky next time. There was also the issue with that damn door...

He ran a hand through his thick, dark brown hair and checked his watch. 4:30pm. The restaurant didn't close until 7pm. Maybe he could try his luck and get his answer now. Better to find out sooner, rather than later. But was Foxy even operational during the day? The others were, so there was a chance that he would be too.

"Ah. Screw it." Mike mumbled to himself as he quickly got himself dressed, putting on some jeans and a black shirt. "I'll take my chances."

He locked the door behind him and headed towards the bus stop.

xxxxx

When he opened the doors, he was met with nothing but chaos.

Children were running and screaming everywhere. Food and toys were getting thrown. It was hard to avoid getting hit. A few parents were trying to calm their kids down but to no avail. Mike walked through to the dining area where he saw exhausted staff members trying to keep up the with the sheer amount of orders they were getting. Waitresses were having a hard time trying to maneuver their way through the crowds while balancing steaming trays of pizza on one hand and trays of drinks on the other.

Maybe his job wasn't so bad after all.

"Sir, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Adults must be accompanied with a child to get in here."

A slim, blonde woman, in her mid thirties, was currently in his path, trying to prevent him from going any further. He put his hands up.

"No, you don't understand. I work here. I'm the Night Guard."

She sighed and gave him a bored look.

"Let me see your ID then."

"Michael? Michael Schmidt?"

A tall man with jet black hair came up from behind her. He wore a blue suit and red tie. He was in his early forties and was very well groomed. It was his boss, Nathan. He gave a dismissive wave to the woman.

"It's alright Julie, he's with us."

She shrugged and walked away, not really seeming to care that much. Nathan turned back to Mike.

"What on earth are you doing here, son?" He gave a frown. "You're not quitting already are you?"

"No sir. I was just...passing by." He gave a glance at Pirate's Cove. The curtains were closed. He wondered if Foxy was on or off. He would find out soon enough.

"Ah. Good." Nathan shook his head sadly. "We've lost far too many guards already..."

' _Gee. I wonder why.'_ Mike rolled his eyes slightly.

"Well. I better be moving along. The show's about to start. You should stick around, Michael. You could probably get a discount on the food, y'know, since you work here. Enjoy!" With that, his boss walked off.

Mike sighed. He wasn't sure he liked the man. There was always something...off about him.

His thoughts were interrupted as the lights died down and the room went silent. Everyone was watching the show stage. A spotlight focused on the curtains and a booming voice called out.

" _Hello Ladies and Gentleman, boys and girls! Welcome to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza! We hope you're enjoying your pizza and are having a lot of fun. Because you're all in for a special treat. Evdrybody give a big welcome to..."_

A drumroll sounded out as the kids gasped and the parents chuckled in amusement. Mike only rose an eyebrow.

 _"Freddy Fazbear and the gang!"_

The curtains opened and the spotlight focused onto the restaurant's main mascot, Freddy Fazbear. Bonnie and Chica to the right and left of him. The kids shouted, cheered and clapped. It was complete chaos. Thankfully, it died down after a few moments. Freddy held up his microphone and spoke out, his voice was deep but very gentle. Since he was the leader, of sorts.

"Hello there kids, and welcome to my pizzeria. The best in town! I sure do hope everyone is enjoying themselves."

The children clapped and there was a chorus of, "Yes Freddy!" or, "We sure are Freddy!" The animatronic bear nodded in approval.

"Boy, we sure do have a lot of talented young people! Don't we Bonnie?" The violet bunny turned his head to Freddy and nodded.

"We sure do Freddy! There sure are a lot of great guys and gals out here today! We're gonna have a lot of fun!" Bonnie's voice was slightly higher pitched and much more enthusiastic than Freddy's. He was the more energetic one.

"Of course we are!" Chica's voice was high pitched and had a feminine quality to it. She held her cupcake and waved to the kids. "But remember to eat plenty of pizza. After all, mine's the best in the whole town!"

Freddy turned to her. "Of course it is Chica. Nobody would doubt that!"

Mike snorted. He would.

"Now. How about we sing a song for these lovely ladies and gentlemen? Would you like that, kids?"

He put a paw to his ear and leaned towards the audience as they cheered and shouted, "Yeah!"

Bonnie got his guitar prop and Chica held out her...cupcake, while Freddy held up his microphone again.

"Alright gang. Hit it!"

They broke out into a series of cheesy songs about friendship and whatnot. Mike saw this as an opportunity to sneak into Pirate's Cove. He needed his answer. Now.

He opened the curtains and slipped in, it was really dark in here. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. He jumped when he heard a soft but immediately recognisable voice.

"Arrgh...Who be there?"

Mike shifted on the spot and looked around, slightly spooked. So Foxy was even turned on during the day then.

"Um. It's me. Mike. Y'know...the _human_ night guard? You uh...told me last night that you'd tell me if you believed me or not. I'm...kinda here for the answer."

He saw a glowing set of yellow eyes turn to look at him. At least he had something besides darkness to talk to now.

"Lad? You aint never come in at this time before."

"Well...this is my way of showing you that I'm human. Like everyone else out there."

He took a step towards the curtains and opened them slightly, showing the busy crowds of people and the animatronic band still playing.

"Alrigh', alrigh'. I believe ye. Jus' shut them blasted curtains before some land lubber sees me." He motioned with his hook to shut the curtains and Mike did so.

"So you're _not_ going to hunt me down now?"

The glowing eyes blinked and nodded.

"Nah. Ye seem like a good lad. Been a while since I've seen anyone anyhow. Tis nice t' have a wee bit o' company. Though I'm no so sure abou' the others. Big bear boss always told us that any lubber tha' came in at night were endo's and needed to git back in costume. He always was a sucker for them rules."

Mike raised an eyebrow at this.

"Rules?"

"Oh aye. We always gave you lot a fair chance when huntin. But if we caught ye. We stuffed ye back into the costumes. Simple."

 _Fair?_ It was anything _but_ fair. This was interesting though. Freddy made these rules? It was pretty clear that he was the leader. But if he had Foxy on his side, maybe he could convince them otherwise.

"So could you help me? Convince them, that is."

Mike saw the eyes tilt slightly.

"I coul' try mate. Can't make any guarantees though."

It would seem that this was the best he was going to get. Fine then.

"Fair enough. I'll um...see you later then, I guess." But before he could leave, he felt a metal hand grab his arm and pull him back. It took everything in him not to scream.

"What are you-!" Mike was cut off as he felt the hand clamp on his mouth a little too tightly.

"Jus' wait a minute!" Foxy whispered as he pulled back his hand. Mike took a step back, rubbing his face.

"What's wrong?"

The fox looked down sheepishly and fidgeted with his hook.

"Ye wouldn' mind...stayin' fer a wee while, would ye? I can't remember the las' time I interacted with someone. It get's awful lonely in this cove sometimes..."

Mike blinked.

"Well, I..." He smiled slightly. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to stay for a little while..."

The fox grinned. Which was unnaturally wide due to his slackened jaw, and in the darkness, it was pretty damn scary. Mike gave a nervous smile back.

"Great! But we're gonna have t' be a wee bit quiet. Don't wan' anyone else coming in."

Mike swallowed.

"Right."

"Now how abou' a story, eh? I've got a great one to tell ye!"

Before Mike could even give a response, the metal fox launched into a tale about how he single-handedly took down the most vicious pirate captain there ever was, Blackbeard.

As Foxy rambled on, Mike found himself smiling slightly. It was nice to have some company again.

xxxxx

Mike finally managed to get home and get ready for his shift. He was anxious, but in a good way. This could be the night that he finally stops worrying about his life being in danger. He would still need to be on his guard though. There was no guarantee that this would work. He quickly got something to eat and headed back out. He wasn't really sure what to expect.

He arrived at the restaurant at 11:50pm. The cleaners had already left. The only ones left in the building were him and the animatronics. He realised it was deathly quiet compared to earlier in the afternoon with the crowds and such. He appreciated the fact that he didn't have to watch his every step and lookout for flying pizza but the silence was...deafening. He looked around. Should he wait here until they activated and try to explain to them? He would have Foxy with him but it was still dangerous. The fox hadn't even peeked out of his cove yet. Deciding against it, he made his way to the office. It was still a mess from yesterday.

He sighed and cleared a few things away, putting any garbage into the trash can. He would give it a thorough cleaning another night. His shift was about to start.

He heard a beeping noise and looked at the tablet. It flashed "12am", signalling the start of his shift. He sighed and lazily gazed at the Show Stage camera.

Only to find that the stage was completely empty.

"WHAT?!"

Mike moved the tablet closer to his eyes to make sure he was seeing this right. But to his complete dismay, his eyes were not playing tricks on him. They were all gone.

He quickly flicked to Pirate's Cove and his eyes widened when he saw the curtains were wide open.

"Son of a bitch!" Mike slammed his hands on both the doors to shut them. Thankfully, there were no errors this time and they both slammed shut. Mike put his hands to his face.

 _'Idiot! I never should have trusted him. Now they're all gonna come to the doors and drain the power! Then they'll...they'll...'_

But to his surprise, nothing came. He kept the doors shut for ten minutes and flicked through the cameras. They were nowhere to be found.

"What the...? Where are they?"

He decided to open the doors and flick through the cameras once again. Nothing.

"The Hell is going on here..?" He couldn't keep going through the cameras. He had to conserve power. He'd just need to sit and wait until something came up.

This was sheer agony. It was 3am and still nothing. Were they even in the building? His question was answered as he heard metal footsteps coming from his left side. On instinct, he shut the door. He blinked when he saw a familiar fox come up to the window and tap it with his hook.

"Ahoy there, lad! Ye mind opening up tha door?"

Mike frowned.

"Where have you been? Where are the others? Don't tell me you're planning some sort of ambush..."

Foxy tilted his head, keeping his jaw in place with his hook as he talked.

"Ambush? Wha'? Nah mate, I was telling tha others abou' ye. How yer no an endo' an' all tha'."

Mike narrowed his eyes.

"How do I know you're not lying?"

"Because that would be against the rules, Mr Schmidt."

Mike pushed his seat back slightly as the bear animatronic came into view. He stood next to Foxy with his hands behind his back in a calm and collected manner. Mike just stared at him with wide eyes as he trembled slightly. He suddenly felt...weak.

The bear grinned back.

"Speechless, are we? I can hardly blame you." He turned to Foxy. "Leave us, will you Foxy? I wish to talk to our little friend here..." He turned back to look at Mike, "..Alone."

The metal fox nodded and left to go who knows where. At this point, Mike only focused on the huge animatronic at the window.

Freddy smiled. Mike flinched.

"Now, where to begin...?"

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Dun, dun, dun! Cliffhanger! Oh, I'm so mean, aren't I? Aint nobody gon' mess with Freddy though. Shit about to get real. *Triple Z snap* Anyhow, tell me what you think! A review is always super helpful. Till next time. Peace out!


	4. The Warning

Just another note to say thanks so much for the support. I'm pretty darn new to this so your kind words really spur me on to keep trying my best. Thank you!

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The tension was unbelievably high right now.

Freddy was just _staring_ at him. He had stared through the cameras before but this time it was up close and personal. He was showing no emotions whatsoever. It was like he was studying the guard. Waiting for his next move. Mike didn't know what to do. He wanted to speak but he found he was unable to do so. Freddy was right, he _was_ speechless.

He jumped slightly in his chair when the bear let out an amused chuckle.

"For one who had the courage to attack Foxy, you're awfully jumpy, Mr Schmidt. What's the matter, hm? Did you somehow lose the ability to talk?"

Hmph. For a children's robot, he was quite the asshole. Albeit, an intimidating one.

"I...uh...how do you know my name? D-did Foxy tell you?" Mike swallowed as he sat on the edge of his chair, he tried to calm his nerves as he didn't want to give the bear the satisfaction of seeing how scared he was. At least there was a giant metal door between them.

"He did. Yes. He had an awful lot to tell about you. You even managed to convince him that you are not, in fact, an endoskeleton." Freddy shook his head. "I must say, I'm a little disappointed."

What on earth did he mean by that?

"W-what? Why?" His palms were beginning to sweat.

"It took me quite a while to get the rules set up for our little game. Now you've went and ruined all of my work. Foxy will no longer hunt you. Bonnie and Chica want to _meet_ you to see for themselves that you are human. All of that hard work. Ruined. "Freddy kept his calm composure as he was still giving that polite smile.

That polite, condescending smile.

"Now even I have broken the rules by talking to you. Which means that I , must also, give up the chase."

Mike had an array of emotions swirling inside him. He was overjoyed because his nightmare was over. No longer would he have to check cameras, shut doors and pray that he wouldn't end up dead by the end of each night. But there was something else. Confusion and Anger. Game? What did he mean by that? What hard work did he ruin? Did Freddy...know he was human? Did he know about the other guards? What kind of sick joke was this?!

"Wait. What do you mean 'Game'? Did...did you already know that I was...?"

"Human? Indeed I did, Mr Schmidt. Maybe you're not so idiotic after all."

Mike's fear was now completely gone as he glared at the animatronic bear.

"You still killed those other guards. Why? Is this some kind of...sick sport or something?!"

This caught Freddy's attention as he raised a mechanical eyebrow.

"I do not care much for your tone. But yes, we killed those other guards, and for good reason."

" _WHAT_ good reason?!" Mike was practically yelling at this point as he stood up from his chair, "You can't reason killing innocent people!"

 _"Innocent?_ Oh, Mr Schmidt, how naive you are. No. Those guards were not innocent. Children are innocent. Adults are not. You of all people should know that."

Mike frowned. "What...?"

Freddy nonchalantly fixed his bow tie.

"I really must be going now, Mr Schmidt. Bonnie and Chica will be wanting to meet you soon. It was certainly a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. However, I would watch my back if I were you."

Freddy leaned closer to the window to glare at Mike as his eyes bled to black, leaving only white pinpricks.

"You may think you're safe now. But accidents _c_ _an_ happen."

His eyes went back to normal as he tipped his hat to the guard, who was now deathly white.

"I hope you have a pleasant evening."

With that, the bear walked down the hallway. Mike sighed and slumped back into his seat. So much for the nightmare being over.

He hoped the other two were at least a little bit nicer.

Another hour passed. Mike had to keep the doors open from now until the end of his shift. He had wasted too much power keeping the door closed during his 'conversation' with Freddy. This put him on edge though, if Bonnie and Chica were anything like Freddy then he wouldn't have the safety of the doors to protect him if things got violent. He would _really_ need to learn to hold his tongue if he wanted to walk out alive.

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard loud footsteps coming from down the right hall. His instinct kicked in and his hand moved to the door button, but he stopped himself as he was reminded that he was extremely low on power. He couldn't afford to let the fridges thaw or his boss would kill him.

Theoretically.

Mike took a deep breath and forced himself to move his hand away from the button. Everything was going to be fine. If he could get through to Foxy, then surely he could through to the other two. They would be fine. He would be fine. It was all going to be _fine._

...Right?

He jumped slightly as he heard a girly voice call out.

"Hey there! You're Mike, right?"

He slowly looked to the right to see Chica standing in the doorway. Every nerve in his body was screaming at him to shut the door. But he simply swallowed down the dry lump in his throat and smiled. Trying, although failing miserably, to hide his fear.

"Um...hello. Yeah, t-that's my name. You must be Chica..." He flinched when the chicken put her hands to her beak and gasped.

 _'Did I say something wrong? Oh God. She's not gonna attack me, is she? Shit, I gotta do someth-'_

He was surprised when instead of going for him, she was jumping up and down on the spot, hands still over her beak, like an excited child.

He wasn't going to lie. It looked pretty hilarious.

"You know my name! Oh wow! Bonnie, you gotta come over here! The human endo thing knows my name!"

"Chica, stop jumping like that. You'll go through the floor, and I am _not_ gonna help you if that happens."

Mike looked to his other side to see the tall, purple rabbit standing at the other doorway. He was now completely trapped with no way out. Nothing had happened so far, so he guessed that these two were a little friendlier than Freddy. But they were so _tall._ It was hard not to feel at least a little bit intimidated.

"So you're the one Foxy was telling us about, huh? Hmm..."

Bonnie took a step into the office with no warning whatsoever. Mike slid his chair to the back wall to put as much distance between them as possible, but judging by how small the office was, it wasn't much. Bonnie simply rolled his eyes.

"Look. If we had came to put you back in costume, we would have done it by now. We just wanna see if what Foxy said was true. Now let's see."

Bonnie took another step and grabbed the guard's arm. What _was_ it with these robots and _grabbing?_ He was going to start bruising if this was kept up.

"Huh. Foxy was right. He really is pretty...squishy." Bonnie said as he poked Mike's arm, who was really starting to feel uncomfortable with how _close_ he was to something that had wanted to kill him just a few days before.

 _'But wait, they didn't know they were killing. It was Freddy who led them. They only thought they were doing the right thing...'_

He yelped when Chica roughly grabbed his arm away from Bonnie. The action caused the guard to stumble out of his seat as he was pulled over to her slightly. His arm was _really_ starting to hurt now.

"I wanna see too! Stop hogging him to yourself!" Chica whined. She started poking his arm too while staring at it with a fascinated expression.

Was this what he was being reduced to? A toy? He tried to gently pull his arm away but Chica had a vice grip on it as she continued looking. What was so fascinating about his damn arm anyway?

He began to feel his fear creeping in again as he noticed her eyes changing. They were turning black. Like Freddy's had done before. She was still staring at his arm. What was wrong?

"U-um...C-Chica? Is there something wro-"

Bonnie interrupted him before he could finish as he shoved her away, making her let go.

"Chica! You're gonna break him if you keep holding him like that!" Bonnie put his hands on his hips while glaring at the chicken. She shook her head as her eyes went back to normal, she glared back and stomped her foot down, glaring back.

"I was being careful! Why have you gotta be so mean, Bonnie?"

The purple rabbit huffed and crossed his arms.

"I'm not being mean. You're just clumsy."

Mike looked wildly between the two. They looked ready to pounce on eachother and he sure as Hell didn't want to be caught in the middle of a smackdown between two giant metal robots. It wouldn't end too well for him.

"Whoah there." Mike said as he put himself between the two, trying to keep them at bay. "There's no need to argue now. Aren't you guys supposed to be friends? What would the kids think if they saw you like this?"

They both looked down.

"They wouldn't like it..." Bonnie mumbled as his towering ears drooped slightly, he looked back up at Chica.

"Sorry..."

Chica scratched the back of her head, still looking down.

"I'm sorry too..."

"Now come on. Hug it out."

They both looked down at the guard with a surprised look. Chica's surprise quickly changed to joy though as she nodded and walked over to the bunny, enveloping him in a hug while he awkwardly stood there.

"I don't really...hug."

"Love you too, Bonnie!" Chica finally let go of him, only to turn and hug Mike. He automatically stiffened up with the contact.

"What are you..?"

"You're awesome, Mike! Usually it's Freddy who breaks up fights. But it takes him _forever._ But you did it in minutes!" She let go and gave him a skeptical look. "Did you use some kind of magic on us...?"

Bonnie sighed and shook his head while Mike looked confused.

"Wait. What? No. Of course not."

"Okay! Just making sure. You're still awesome, though." Chica smiled. Unlike Freddy's, it actually looked genuine.

Mike blushed slightly and rubbed the back of his neck. He wasn't really used to being complimented.

"Thanks, I guess.."

"Yeah. You're alright, I suppose. As long as you don't try anything." Bonnie narrowed his eyes slightly. Mike tilted his head.

"Huh?"

"You left a dent in Foxy's head." To emphasise his point, Bonnie tapped his own head. "Just don't want you doing the same to us."

Ah crap. He forgot about that. He'd probably need to apologise to Foxy. Still, there was a reason for it.

"Well he _did_ scream into my face and try to grab me. It wasn't entirely pleasant."

Chica put a metal digit to her beak, as if in thought.

"Freddy was really mad about that. He's _super_ protective of us. So don't go hitting anyone again. Besides, it's mean." Chica said as she put her hands on her hips. Bonnie nodded in agreement.

Mike just gave her a deadpan look. He was getting scolded by a giant metal chicken. This night just kept getting weirder every minute. But he didn't want to anger her. He was already on thin ice as it was. He held up his hands.

"Alright. I promise not to hit anyone ever again." He tried not to grin. He never thought he'd have to say that again. He got into a lot of fights at school and his teacher always gave him lectures about how it was bad to hit people. Now _those_ were the days...

Chica smiled again and patted his head a little too hard. If his arm wasn't going to bruise, his poor head was.

"Good. You're a really sweet endoske- Oh! I mean, human." She gave a sheepish look while Mike chuckled.

"It's alright and...thanks."

"Looks like your shift is nearly done. We should probably head back to the stage too." Bonnie said as he stepped out of the office and into the hallway. "Come on Chica."

It was time to go already? Mike glanced down at the tablet and was surprised to see that it was 5:55am. Damn. The time really flew in. It was a nice change from staring at the screen, begging for it to turn to 6am.

Chica nodded and turned to Mike.

"Come on! We'll walk you out."

He got his chair back into place and looked at her.

"Um. Sure. Alright then."

He walked alongside the two animatronics down the long hallway, each one on either side of him. He had to admit, tonight went a lot better than he thought. Sure, Freddy was a giant asshole but Bonnie and Chica were actually pretty darn sweet. They were almost like kids. Only they were giant and metal. Mike chuckled to himself but it quickly turned into a frown as he thought about what Freddy had said to him before. What did he have against adults? Did something happen that he would have a personal hatred towards them? He would have to keep on his guard around him. He knew that the bear did not make empty threats.

"Here we are!"

Chica walked out in front of them as they entered the main dining area. Freddy was already on the main stage. She turned to Mike and took his hands while he just stood there, feeling slightly awkward.

"It was so fun getting to meet you! Can we visit you again tomorrow?"

"Yeah, it was nice to be able to interact with a human again. We don't really get to do it as much anymore." Bonnie said as he stood next to Chica. Mike glanced up briefly to see Freddy glaring at him. He better wrap this up quickly.

"Sure. I think I'd like that." Mike gave them a nervous smile as Chica let go and clapped her hands in an excited manner.

"Great! I can't wait! We'll see ya later then! Buh bye!" She waved at him as she made her way up to the stage. Bonnie gave a curt wave of his own as he followed her. Mike gave a small wave back as they got back into position. Foxy poked his head out of the curtains of his cove.

"So we'll be seeing ya tomorrow then, lad?"

Mike nodded as made his way to the doors.

"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow Foxy."

"Alrighty. I be lookin' forward to seeing ya again." Foxy slipped back into his cove and all was silent as the main lights came on.

Mike gave a contended sigh and made his way home.

XXXXXXXXX

There we go. Another chapter done. Please tell me what you think so far! Leave a review if you can! They're always very helpful and I would love to hear your opinion. Till then. Peace out!

'


	5. The White Mask

Alright, so I've had a chat with a few of you and it's came to my attention that I need to focus more on the content and characters, rather than focus on how quickly I can get the chapters out, and for that, I do apologise. Also, a big thank you to those who are keeping tabs on this story! But enough of this. On to the next chapter!

XXXXXXXXXX

Mike had decided to visit Foxy during the day again.

Several days had passed and he felt like he needed to apologise for what he had done during their first meeting. Although technically it was in self defense, since Foxy had attacked him first. However, he needed to keep on the animatronics good side if he was to walk out alive each night.

Foxy and Chica would be relatively easy to get along with since they didn't seem to have a problem with him. They were both very friendly towards the guard and were very eager to talk to him, even if he was a little nervous and jumpy around them. Mike had a feeling that although Bonnie wasn't particularly aggressive towards him, he seemed to be extremely wary, probably because of what he had done to Foxy. He would probably easily snap the guard's neck if he tried anything else. He knew he would need to be a little extra cautious around the violet bunny.

Freddy was a whole different ball game though.

The bear just seemed to _loathe_ the guard. Whenever Mike saw him, which was rarely, he would get mixed responses. Sometimes the animatronic would just sneer at him and tip his hat in greeting, probably to be 'polite'. Other times, the bear would just give him a look, like he wanted to tear Mike's head off or something. However, he hadn't tried to hurt the guard. Well, not yet anyway. After all, these were still early days.

Mike walked through the main entrance, only to be met with, once again, hyper children and exhausted staff. It was mid-week and it was the time in day when the schools were out, which meant a lot of customers for Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. The band were playing so this at least kept the kids at bay for a little while. Mike smiled a little as he watched them. If there was anything those guys were good at, it was making kids feel special. He wasn't lying to Foxy when he said that he had been here a lot when he was much younger. He absolutely loved it. Everyone did.

Until the rumors started.

He shook his head. He didn't want to think about that right now. He decided to keep away from the parents and children as he made his way to Pirate's Cove. Only to be stopped halfway there.

"Michael! Come to visit us again, eh? Why, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to score some free food!"

Mike turned around to see Nathan laughing away. He fought the urge to punch the man straight in the jaw. He didn't want to lose his job after all.

"Funny, sir. But no, I was just coming in to check on my...office." Mike wasn't usually one for lying, but he couldn't exactly tell the truth. His boss would think he was crazy.

Nathan nodded. "Good man! I knew you were dependable." His cheery tone changed to a more serious one as he crossed his arms. "I'm glad I managed to catch you though. I was wondering if you might be willing to do a small favour for me."

Mike raised an eyebrow. This had never been asked of him before.

"What kind of favour, exactly?"

Nathan put an arm around Mike's shoulder and led him away from the people. Probably to get a quieter spot, he stopped at the opening of the left hallway and took his arm away and started to speak again.

"Well...I'm not sure if you've noticed, but the animatronics have been acting up a bit lately. When they're playing, their joints will sometimes stiffen up or, on rare occasion, their voice boxes glitch, it kinda makes them sound a little...warped or something, I dunno." He shrugged. "Thing is, I can't be having my main mascots breaking down on me or we'll lose customers. If we lose customers, we lose business. If we lose business, we lose money. You get what I'm saying here?"

Mike nodded but he was a little confused. Why was Nathan telling _him_ this? He was only a night guard. Surely there were other, more qualified people he could discuss this issue with. However, he was also a little concerned for the animatronics too. He didn't want them breaking down or anything. Nathan continued.

"What we need is a mechanic. We actually had a pretty decent one who worked at our last restaurant, in fact, he even had your job at one point and-" Mike cut him off.

"Wait. He was a night guard? He's still _alive_?"

Mike clutched at Nathan's arm while giving him a hopeful look. Nathan, on the other hand, looked a little concerned as he gently pulled his arm away.

"...Yes. Of course he is. Although the job made him a little loopy. Kept rambling on about possessed robots and whatnot. We only gave him the job because nobody else would take it. Honestly, he was a _much_ better mechanic..."

Mike was ecstatic. There was another guard who had actually survived! What about this other restaurant? Were there more animatronics? If there was, were they still functional? Were they anything like Freddy and the others?

"Unfortunately, he quit when we closed down. We tried to phone him recently with an offer of his old job as a mechanic but...well, let's just say, he wasn't very willing."

"Have you tried anyone else?" Mike questioned.

Nathan shook his head. "We have but due to our reputation not being the best, they all declined. Now. This is where _you_ come in Michael."

Nathan glanced to the side before continuing in a quieter voice.

"Now, what I need you to do, is find our ex-employee and...persuade him into taking the job. He obviously won't listen to us, but if he talked with someone like you, another night guard, and an exceptional one at that if I might add."

Nathan chuckled while Mike rolled his eyes slightly at the empty compliment.

"Then maybe he'll listen. Here's a card with his name and address. You shouldn't have any problems with finding the house but if you do then...take a cab or something." Nathan said in a dismissive tone.

 _'I would if I could afford it.'_ Mike thought to himself as he took the small card.

" If you can convince him, I'll give you a bonus at the end of the week too. Don't say I'm not gracious now!"

Nathan chortled while Mike forced a smile.

"So what do say, hm? You up to the job, kiddo?"

Mike rubbed the back of his neck as he thought. He didn't really want to go tracking down this guy and practically shove a job offer into his face that he obviously didn't want. However, he _did_ want to meet him. This was another guard who had _survived_ , he couldn't pass on an opportunity like this. Besides, he wanted to help the animatronics in any way he could. Mike looked up to his boss and nodded.

"I am, sir. But...what if he declines again?"

Nathan shrugged. "Then we'll just need to keep looking elsewhere. We can't exactly put a gun to his head and force him to work for us. Or...maybe we could."

Nathan, once again, burst into laughter, forcing Mike to nervously chuckle along with him, not entirely sure if he was being serious or not.

Nathan wiped away a small tear. "Oh Michael...if you don't find a way to laugh in this life then we'd all be crying. Now, just a heads up. Our friend does tend to get a little...quirky, but he's relatively harmless. For the most part. Oh, and do come back with his answer as quick as you can. I don't like to be kept waiting."

Well that didn't add pressure or anything.

"I wish you the best of luck, son. Toodles!" With that, Nathan walked off.

Mike sighed and put the card into his coat pocket before continuing on his way to Pirate's Cove. Once he reached it, he glanced around to make sure nobody was looking and slipped in through the starry curtains.

Thankfully, he wasn't engulfed in complete darkness when he entered this time. It looked as though Foxy had taken the liberty of placing a few lamps around the cove to brighten it up a bit in the event that the guard would visit again, where Foxy had gotten the lamps from though, Mike had no idea. But the place was actually quite a spectacle to behold. The room was much more spacious than Mike remembered, but that may have been due to the lack of children.

The room was very large and colourful. The centre of the carpeted floor had a sandy colour to it while the edges of the carpet had a lighter blue colour, clearly indicating that there was an island theme going on. The wallpaper was sky blue with big white fluffy clouds and a few seagulls painted on. In the middle of the room was a medium sized stage with a large chest filled with plastic coins, Foxy used to give those coins to any kid who had a birthday party going on. A few plastic palm trees were scattered around the room too. There was a large wooden model of a ship behind the stage, it was beautifully crafted and was used as a sort of play area for the kids. Mike remembered when he and the other kids would play with Foxy and when they sat on the soft carpet and listened to Foxy's stories, it was magical. It was a real shame that it was closed down now.

"Mike? Tha' be you laddie?" Mike looked over to see Foxy poke out his head from behind the ship. The guard gave a small wave when the animatronic walked out.

"Yeah, it's me."

Foxy stopped in front of him and held his jaw in place with his hook.

"Well don't this be a pleasan' surprise! But what be the meanin' o' yer visit? Did ye come to hear one of Foxy's ol' stories?"

Mike shook his head but instantly stopped when he saw the metal fox deflate slightly, his mechanical ears folding back. The guard panicked and put a hand on the animatronic's arm in an attempt to comfort him. The fake fur felt rough and matted.

"Maybe you can tell me a story when I come in for my shift tonight. But the reason for my visit now is to...apologise." Mike pulled his hand back and looked down slightly.

The fox perked up but looked a little confused.

"Apologise fer what, lad? You aint done nothin' wrong."

"For smacking you with that pole." Mike reached up the side of his head and tapped it. "It left a...bit of a dent on you."

Foxy shrugged and waved his hook in a dismissive manner. "Ah, don't worry about it. I got plenty o' dents in me ol' body. What's one more, eh?"

Mike guiltily glanced down.

"...Right."

He was a little surprised when the robot slapped a metal hand on his shoulder and gave him an unnaturally wide grin.

"Now, will I see ya tonight then? I got plenty of tales in me ol' memory banks to tell ye." Mike gave a small smile back.

"Sure, I'll come see you during my shift."

Foxy pulled his hand back and gave a nod. "Good. Now git. I got some cleaning I still gotta do."

Mike had to admit, for this place being pretty much abandoned, it was pretty spotless. It was Foxy's home so he imagined the animatronic would be pretty intent on keeping the place clean.

"Do you...need any help with that?" Mike asked. Foxy shook his head.

"Nah, don't go troubling yerself. I like doin' it on me own anyway. Tis me cove after all." Mike nodded and headed for the curtains, not wanting to bother him anymore. He turned around and waved.

"I'll see you tonight then Foxy. I'll come around near the end of the shift."

Foxy waved back and went back to behind his ship.

"Got it. I look forward to seeing ye, lad."

Mike slipped through the curtains and went back into the dining room. Thankfully, everyone was too distracted to notice him. He walked in the direction of the main doors and looked over to the band, only to nearly jump out of his skin when he saw that Freddy was staring straight at him as he sung, only to turn his head back to the audience a moment later. He cursed into himself and walked on.

When he placed his hand on the door handle, everything went silent. Everyone was still moving and talking but he just couldn't...hear them. Wait. What was going on? Did he suddenly go deaf or something? Mike was about to turn his head but instantly stopped when he felt a chilling presence directly behind him. His eyes widened when he looked at himself in the reflection of the door's glass window.

Sitting on his shoulder was a white mask. It had a large grin, red rosy cheeks and two purple streaks running down from it's eyes to it's mouth. It's eyes were completely black with little white pupils. But that wasn't all. This thing had a body. A tall, jet black and spindly body. Mike trembled as it leaned towards his ear.

 _"You will be their only hope."_

It's soft whisper was deafening. Mike didn't know what to. He wanted to run away but he was completely frozen with fear.

 _"You must do what I could not."_

He clenched his eyes shut as he felt it's...claws, which were surprisingly soft, run down his face. Was nobody else _seeing_ this thing?!

 _"Please."_

He felt the claws and the coldness lift away and the sounds of the restaurant slowly flood into his ears again. He opened his eyes to see that the ghost...puppet...thing had completely disappeared. Mike was still rooted to the spot though, with his hand still shaking against the door handle.

What on earth _was_ that thing? What it said didn't make any sense either. He was only who's hope? What could he only do that it couldn't? What did all of this _mean?_

"Hey buddy. You gonna open that door or not?"

Mike snapped out of his trance to turn around and see an irritated looking man with two small girls behind him, probably his daughters.

"S-sorry..." He mumbled as he held the door open for them. What the Hell was going on in this place?

xxxxx

It was 11:55pm when he entered the building for his shift. He locked the doors behind him and looked around. The puppet thing was nowhere to be seen. Maybe this job was making him lose it slightly. Perhaps his mind was playing tricks on him. But it felt so _real._ He would need to get to the bottom of this somehow.

He made his way to the office, keeping an eye out for anything that could link to the creature. But alas, everything seemed normal enough. Sighing, Mike sat down and looked down at the tablet as it flashed 12am. He tapped the screen to look at the Show Stage camera. Bonnie and Chica were making their way towards him while Freddy went to the backstage area. He wondered what the bear was doing back there, and to be perfectly honest, he was a little afraid to find out.

"Hey Mike!" Chica greeted as she came through the right doorway, followed by Bonnie, who only nodded to the guard. It got awfully tight whenever the animatronics came into the office. He thought about moving into the dining room but having Freddy so close kinda scared him, he felt a lot safer in here.

"Hey guys." Mike greeted back. "What are you up to tonight?"

Chica shifted on the spot, looking a little nervous. "Well...we were just wondering if you wanna...um.."

Mike sat back and tilted his head.

"Go on."

"Um.." Chica began to stutter while Bonnie rolled his eyes.

"She wants to know if you wanted to play a game with us." Bonnie explained while Chica gave the guard a hopeful look.

Mike blinked. "A game?"

Chica nodded. "Yeah! It gets really boring in here sometimes and playing with you would be fun. We used to play Hide and Seek with the kids when we were allowed to roam about. It was my favourite."

Mike remembered that, but back then, there were crowds and it was nice and bright. Right now, it was the middle of the night and the restaurant was in complete darkness. Not to mention that creature could still pop up at any minute. A game of hide and seek just sounded like a terrible idea.

"So...please, Mike? We promise we won't stuff you into a suit!" Chica was pleading to the guard at this point, even going so far as to attempt the 'puppy dog eyes' look. Bonnie seemed pretty keen too.

"Come on. It's just one game. Or are you too scared?" The bunny taunted with a smirk.

Oh yeah. He was scared alright, and he wasn't afraid to admit it. But with the look Chica was giving, it was too hard to say no. Mike sighed.

"Fine...but only one game, alright?" He was instantly pulled into a bone-crushing hug.

"Thank you so much Mike! You're the best! Ok, you count to ten and me and Bonnie will go hide. Oh, and no peeking!" She let go and ran out of the room while Mike clutched at his diaphragm, gasping for air. Bonnie patted the guard's back.

"Thanks. This means a lot to her." With a nod, the tall rabbit strolled out of the room.

When he finally caught his breath, Mike counted to ten and started to look for them. He decided he'd try the back of the building first, so he walked up the left hall. He had to admit, he was starting to regret this.

The building was so creepy, especially with all the posters and kids drawings scattered along the walls. Of course, he was still on edge after what had happened earlier. He had brought a flashlight, so at least he could see in front of him. Didn't make it any less terrifying though.

 _"He remains."_

Mike instantly froze on the spot. There was a sudden chill in the air. It was here again. The creature.

 _"He always comes back."_

He whipped around to see...nothing. He flashed the light all over the place but he couldn't see anything. But it was definetely here. He could hear it for crying out loud! Maybe this job _was_ making him crazy. Maybe he oughta quit and get another job, washing dishes somewhere. At least he would be able to keep his sanity.

 _"Keep going, and you will find him."_

The coldness faded away and Mike kept looking around. It was obvious that this thing didn't want to hurt him or it already would have done it. So...what did it want? It seemed as though the creature wanted him to perform some sort of task. If he kept going, he would find...him? Who was him?

Mike desperately wanted to turn back but it seemed to be watching him, so it didn't look as though he had much of a choice but to go forward. He really wished he had one of the animatronics with him. Hell, even Freddy. At least he knew where he stood with that guy.

Taking a tentative step forward, he slowly made his way down the dark hallway, half expecting to reach a dead end, and that indeed, was what he was met with. He was a little confused. Did he...make a wrong turn or something? He couldn't have, the corridor only went one way. Sighing, he put a hand against the wall and leaned on it, he felt something shift underneath his palm. Surprised, he pulled it back and noticed that the edge of a brick was sticking out of the wallpaper. Damn, how old _was_ this building? He took a step back to take a look at it. Something seemed a little odd here.

He shined the torch on the wall and noticed that this particular spot was bulging out a bit. It made a rectanguler shape, like a doorway. He took the brick out and stuck his hand in, he felt a rough texture, it was wood. Was this a room? Why was it concealed like this? Was this what the creature wanted him to find?

"Mr Schmidt. What _are_ you doing?"

Mike whipped around to see two bright blue eyes looking down at him. Shit. It was Freddy. He was completely cornered.

"M-me? Oh nothing. Um...Chica and B-bonnie wanted to play hide and seek so...I'm uh...looking for them." Mike stuttered out, trying to look casual. Freddy gave him an amused look, arching a mechanical eyebrow.

"Well. I can assure you that you will not find them in there."

So there _was_ a room in there. Interesting.

"O-oh. Well, thanks. I'll just um...be on my way then." Mike said as he went around the bear, he didn't get very far though as the animatronic clamped a metal, thin-furred paw onto his shoulder, preventing him from going any further. He swallowed.

"Mr Schmidt, I highly advise that you do not come here again. After all, what is it they say? Curiousity _killed_ the cat?"

He felt the paw tighten on his shoulder. Mike winced as his shoulder blade groaned in protest, threatening to snap if any more pressure was put on it.

"Don't think that I don't know what you're playing at, Mr Schmidt. If you think that you're going to get away with hurting them..."

Mike yelped as the bear forced him to turn around, still keeping an extremely firm grip on his shoulder. The metal was even threatening to cut into his skin now. Freddy narrowed his eyes.

"Then maybe I should just kill you right now."

Mike's eyes widened.

"W-What? Who? The others? I-I would never hurt them!"

Freddy chuckled. "Ah yes. That is what they all say. Before they shove a knife into your stomach. I will _not_ let it happen again."

"Mike? Freddy? What are you guys doing?"

Both of them looked up to see Chica and Bonnie coming down the hallway. Freddy gave them a gentle smile while Mike was still looking wide-eyed.

"Hello, Chica. Bonnie. I'm afraid our little friend here lost his way while trying to find you. I was just about to take him back." Freddy explained while loosening his grip on the man's shoulder, giving it a pat. Mike just really wanted to run away at this point.

"Oh. Well come on, Mike. Foxy said he wanted to see you. He's gonna tell some stories." Chica said as she took the guard's shaking hand and led him away. "Hey, why are you so shaky?"

As they disappeared down the hallway, Bonnie narrowed his eyes at Freddy, who gave him a calm look.

"Was that _really_ necessary?"

Freddy straightened his top hat as he passed by the rabbit.

"Of course. Adults are not to be trusted. You know that."

Bonnie watched as Freddy walked off before sighing to himself.

xxxxx

Mike had managed to calm down after a while, although he was still on edge. He was currently sitting next to Bonnie and Chica in Pirate's Cove as Foxy was telling one of his infamous stories. He allowed his mind to wander a bit. Freddy scared the absolute crap out of him. Why would he even think that he would intentionally hurt anyone? Something must have happened in the past. Maybe it had something to do with that hidden room. The puppet creature clearly wanted him to find it but Freddy seemed furious, so much so that he was almost going to kill him. But thankfully...he was alive.

He needed to focus on his task for tomorrow. Find the guard/mechanic that Nathan wanted to re-hire. He pulled out the card and glanced at the name.

'Jeremy Fitzgerald.'

XXXXXXXXXX

Well that only took forever. I apologise if this chapter seems all over the place. I had a bit of a hard time trying to cram stuff together. But anyway, tell me what you think! A review is always very helpful. Till then. Peace out!


	6. The One who Survived

Warning- There's going to be quite a bit of swearing here. Also. Guys. Five Nights at Freddys 4 trailer. Much hype. That is all.

XXXXXXXXXX

Mike looked down at the card, then looked up at the house, before checking the card again.

Yep. This was the place. This is where he would find Jeremy Fitzgerald. The one that his boss, Nathan, wanted to re-hire. Shoving the card into his jean pocket, he walked up to the front door.

He was slightly nervous about this, he didn't really know what to expect. Nathan had described him as 'loopy' and 'quirky', not to mention he rambled on about the robots being possessed when he worked there. Mike was worried he'd end up having to fend off some raving lunatic. But he was also pretty excited, he'd finally meet someone who had survived the night shift at Freddys. Mike thought he was the only one to have been able to do it.

He wasn't entirely sure how he'd _persuade_ him into taking the job offer as a mechanic though. He wasn't exactly one for smooth talking. Besides, he couldn't blame the guy for saying no in the first place. Why would he want to fix the very same machines that had tried to kill him? But Mike knew that this would probably be his only chance to talk to him, and he was desperate for some answers.

Taking a breath, he knocked on the wooden door and took a small step back. He jumped slightly when he heard a crash come from inside of the house along with a muffled but audible shout of, "Son of a bitch!"

Mike just blinked as the sound of footsteps became louder. A few moments later, the door unlocked and opened up.

"What in the bloody Hell do you want?"

Standing at the doorway was a man in his early thirties with short, ruffled black hair. He had a stern looking face which looked as though it was due to the constant frowning that he seemed to be doing. He also had light green eyes with dark circles underneath them, along with a pair of black, oval-shaped glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. He was currently wearing a white shirt and loose black trousers. But the thing that stood out the most was his accent. He sounded...Irish.

"Look, are you going to just stand there and stare at me like I'm flipping Jesus all day or are you actually going to say something?"

This brought Mike back as he realised he hadn't even said anything yet.

"Oh! Sorry!" Mike nervously said as he held out his hand.

"My name is Mike Schmidt. Are you Jeremy Fitzgerald?"

The man just glanced down at the hand before looking back at Mike, making no move to shake it.

"Maybe. What's it to you?"

"Um.." Mike quickly lowered his hand and cleared his throat. "Well. I work for Freddy Fazbear's Pizza and-"

"Nope. Piss off." Jeremy curtly said as he made a move to shut the door. Mike held out his hand and quickly moved to the door in an attempt to stop him.

"No! Wait! You don't understand, I'm a night guard there! I just want to talk to you. Get some answers."

This seemed to work as Jeremy stopped and opened the door again, a mildly surprised look on his face.

"Oh, so you got my old job then?" He smirked. "I guess they didn't tell you about the robot fuckers that would try to murder your ass, eh?"

Mike rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah...wasn't exactly in the job description. But...they've actually stopped attacking now." Jeremy just gave him a look of disbelief.

"You're bloody joking, right? What did you do? Blackmail them or something?"

"Not exactly...Foxy actually managed to get to me and I...sorta attacked him and-"

Mike was once again interrupted as Jeremy burst into a laughing fit. Even doubling over to clutch at his stomach.

"Oh now you've _got_ to be shitting me! _You_ attacked Foxy?! I mean, just look at you! You're a scrawny little bastard! I'm surprised you're still bloody standing!" He managed to get himself under control again and stand upright while Mike just glared daggers at him.

"If I were you, I would've ran like a bitch. At least you would have a bit of a better chance." Jeremy said while still chuckling.

Mike crossed his arms and continued to glare.

"For your information, it worked out just fine. We managed to talk and sort things out. Now they've all realised that I'm not an endo and have stopped attacking me. In fact, they even kinda like me."

 _'Except for Freddy who knew I was human in the first place...'_ Mike decided to keep this to himself though.

Jeremy gave him an amused look.

"Is that so? All ten of them?"

Wait. _Ten?_ There were only four animatronics. So there _were_ more at the old restaurant.

"Ten? There's only four of them where I work." Mike said, tilting his head.

Jeremy rose an eyebrow. "Are they made of plastic, by any chance? With big red cheeks, kinda look cute?"

Mike shook his head. "No. They're made of metal and plaster, with a thin layer of some kind of fake fur. They're huge too so 'cute' isn't really a word I would use to describe them." Mike explained.

Jeremy silently nodded.

"Ah. Guess they finally decided to scrap the toys then. Thank fuck for that, especially that Mangle and Balloon Boy. Fucking _hated_ those two." Jeremy seethed.

Mangle? Balloon Boy? Mike had never heard of those names.

"Anyway, I've got some questions for you and I'm sure you've got a bucket load for me. And to be perfectly honest, we look like a pair of muppets, standing out here. So how about we go to a bar or something, eh? I'm dying for a drink anyway."

It was a little early in the afternoon to be drinking and Mike wasn't one for alcohol anyway but Jeremy was right, he _did_ have a lot of questions. Besides, maybe Jeremy would accept the job offer if he got drunk enough.

"Sure. Alright then."

Jeremy nodded. "Wonderful. Just gimme a few minutes to get ready, alright?" He disappeared behind the door while Mike patiently waited. This was certainly shaping up to be an interesting afternoon.

xxxxx

"You had _doors_ to protect you?! Well no wonder you're still alive, all I had was a fucking Freddy head. You had to be lightning quick though, else those bastards would see right through it." Jeremy said as he took another swig.

They were both sitting in a booth at a bar that wasn't very far from the restaurant. The place wasn't exactly fancy or anything but it was nice and quiet. Mike and Jeremy had been talking for a while, sharing their experiences of being the night guard. Jeremy was on his fourth drink while Mike was still on only his first.

"So let me get this straight, You had to check the vents, a hallway and the cameras, flash a light at Foxy to repel him, make sure that some balloon kid wouldn't attract the other animatronics and...what else?" Mike questioned.

"I had to wind up some music box to make sure that the puppet bastard wouldn't wake up. There were times when it nearly came out of it's box though, and by jingo, that thing was creepy as all Hell. It looked like something you'd see in a fucking haunted house or something. Whoever thought it was good for kids was a damn idiot, that's for sure."

A puppet? Mike wondered if it was the same creature that had appeared behind him yesterday.

"What...exactly did this puppet look like?" Mike asked, leaning forward on the table slightly.

Jeremy grimaced. "It was supposed to be designed in the same way as those toy animatronics. With the big red cheeks and all, but it had a white face with this big grin. It also had these big purple streaks running down it's face, like it was crying or something. It was bloody tall too, and it had flipping claws for hands. I remember the other staff calling it the Marionette or something. Like I said, whoever thought of the design had some serious mental issues." Jeremy said as he took another drink.

It _was_ the same creature. So it was at the last restaurant too then. At least he had a name to go by now. He still wondered what it wanted from him though.

"There was something else..." Jeremy said as he placed his drink back onto the table.

"What?" Mike questioned, his brow furrowing.

Jeremy glanced around before continuing. "Sometimes I'd see something in my office, looked like a golden bear or something. It didn't like...attack or anything but it would just sort of sit there, all slumped over, then it would fade away. It even _whispered_ sometimes and y'know what it sounded like? A fucking child."

Mike's eyes widened slightly. "A child?"

Jeremy nodded. "Yeah. I think it was a ghost of some sort. Like of one of the kids that got murdered there. Everyone said I was crazy though, naturally."

That's right. The restaurant did have a bad reputation because of those murders. Supposedly a man in a suit managed to kidnap five children and brutally murder them before hiding their bodies away in the suits. It happened years ago but the rumors were still as fresh as ever. There was even one that the spirits of the children were still haunting the suits. A lot of parents had stopped taking their kids there because of it. Who could blame them?

"Well...I think I might have seen the Marionette. It...sort of appeared to me yesterday."

Jeremy nearly spat out his drink.

"Are you fucking serious? That thing's still out there? Is it a bloody ghost too? The fuck is going on...?"

Mike frowned slightly. "I don't know but...I think it wants me to do something. It said that I had to do something that it couldn't and 'save their souls'. I don't know who or what it means though"

"You think it means those dead kids or something?"

"Um...I'm not sure. Maybe." Mike swallowed. He _really_ hated anything paranormal.

Jeremy shook his head. "This is messed up. If I were you, I'd get the Hell out of there while I still could"

Mike looked down. "Trust me, I really want to but...I can't leave. Believe it or not, I actually like the animatronics. Well...most of them anyway."

Jeremy gave him an amused look. "You like the things that tried to kill you? You really are a damn idiot..." Jeremey chuckled.

Mike gave him a deadpan look. "It was a misunderstanding...sort of.."

"Pfft! _Sort of?_ "

Mike tried to change the topic. " _Anyway,_ I know I'd do anything I can to help them out...which brings me to my other reason of finding you..."

Jeremy held up his hand, silencing Mike. "Lemme guess. That asshole Nathan sent you, didn't he?"

"Well...yeah." Mike said, a hint of guilt in his voice. "I only really said yes so that I would be able to talk to you. I really wanted to meet you after Nathan told me you were a night guard."

Jeremy sighed. "Well, I gotta admit, it's nice to finally have someone actually fucking believe me. I tried to tell everyone else I knew about those damn robots but eventually it just drove people away. I was even beginning to think I was crazy myself. Glad someone else is on the mad side with me." He smirked and held up his bottle and clinked it with Mike's, who smiled back.

"So...," Mike started, twiddling his thumbs nervously. "Are you gonna take the job..? The animatronics keep stiffening up on performances and Nathan even said their voices were warping."

Jeremy raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Never dealt with anything like that before..." He sighed. "I know I already told that asshole to piss off but...I'm not gonna lie, I'm not exactly rolling in money right now..."

After a few moments, he slammed his hand onto the table, making Mike jump slightly on the seat.

"I'll do it. But only on one condition."

Mike tilted his head. "What's that?"

"I want to see them. I want to see that they have actually changed. Because I don't exactly want to take the job and then get my head ripped off while I'm doing it. I'm desperate for money but I'd rather _keep_ my limbs, thank you."

Mike thought about it. If he got Jeremy to take the job then that would keep Nathan happy and he would have someone he could discuss things with, maybe he could even help him with recent events and solve the mystery behind the Marionette, not to mention the hidden room at the back of the restaurant. The only problem were the animatronics themselves. How would they react with Jeremy? How the Hell would Freddy react? It was clear that he hated adults and Jeremy had already survived against him. Maybe he would want to finish the job.

But if he had a talk with them tonight, then perhaps he could coax them into meeting him. Re-introduce him as a friend, someone who wants to help. Maybe then they would tolerate Jeremy, even Freddy. After all, he said so himself that he'd 'given up the hunt.' It was worth a shot.

"Alright. How about you swing by tomorrow night? I'll re-introduce you guys and you can see for yourself what they're like now. I'll have a little chat with them tonight and get them ready."

Jeremy shrugged. "Alright then. I'll come by at the start of your shift. It still starts at 12, right?"

Mike nodded. "That's right."

"It's a deal then. I'd like to see those bastards for myself. Let's just hope they don't remember me, eh?" Jeremy said as he looked at his empty glass. "Ah shit. I'm empty again. You want another one?" He asked as he got up.

"Nah, I'm good." Mike waved his hand dismissively. Jeremy snorted.

"You're not much fun, are you?" Mike sighed as Jeremy went up for his fifth drink.

xxxxx

Mike stood in the dining room with his arms crossed, directly in front of the show stage. The animatronics were completely still. It was 5 minutes before the start of his shift. Until they were able to move. He desperately wanted to run to his office, mainly because of his incident with Freddy the other night. He didn't know how he'd react when he knew another adult was coming into the picture, and one that had barely escaped him too. But he needed to discuss this with him. All of them.

He checked around. The Marionette hadn't made any appearances ever since he got here. But he had a feeling that it was still watching him. Would it have a reaction? It obviously knew Jeremy since he had to deal with it in the past. Would it be angry? Maybe this wasn't such a good idea...

He snapped his head back to the stage as he heard whirring and clicking as Freddy, Bonnie and Chica started moving their joints. Too late for second thoughts now. Freddy was the first to notice him.

"Mr Schmidt? What on earth are you doing out of your office?" The bear narrowed his eyes at the guard. "It's against the rules, you know."

Mike tried to push his fear aside and kept his arms crossed as he gave a mocking smile back. Probably not a wise decision but he seriously couldn't help himself. Maybe it was because he knew that Freddy wouldn't really try anything while the others were there.

"Well, believe it or not, Freddy. I do actually have a reason for being out here. I need to talk to you all about something."

"Tha' so, lad?" Mike jumped when Foxy came up to him from behind. How did they _do_ that? What were they, robot ninjas? It was Mike's turn to glare at Freddy as the bear deeply chuckled at the small jumpscare.

"Well? Spit it out." Bonnie said as he and Chica made their way down from the stage to stand in front of him. Freddy stayed where he was on the stage.

"Well...my boss...um... _our_ boss, told me that you guys were having trouble with moving and stuff when performing during the day so he wanted to hire a mechanic and-" Freddy cut him off.

"I'll have you know that we are functioning just fine. We don't need any form of help from _anyone._ Now, if that was all you came here for, then I suggest you go back to your station." Freddy said, a certain air of authority about him.

Mike frowned and opened his mouth to retort but was, again, cut off. This time by Chica.

"But Freddy...our joints _have_ been sticking and stuff. Maybe we _do_ need a mechanic to look at us..." She said as she rubbed her elbow joint to emphasize her point. It made an odd squeaking sound, making Mike wince slightly. Freddy shook his head.

"I'm afraid I will not stand for it. I don't want some...adult tinkering with us. They'll probably shut us down! No. It's not happening. End of discussion." He narrowed his eyes, which were now bleeding to black, at Mike, who just stared back. "I will not tell you again. Go to your office. Now."

Mike didn't budge though.

"Do you hear yourself, Freddy? Are you seriously going to let your pride get in the way of repairing these guys?" He gestured to the rest of the animatronics, who were now giving him shocked looks. "Are you really going to let them break down before you accept any help? I thought you cared about them!"

Mike instantly regretted taking a stand like this as the bear stepped off the stage and landed in front of him with a large thud. The animatronic looked ready to kill him. He took one step towards the guard who stumbled back a bit, resulting in him bumping into Foxy.

"Are you _trying_ to test my patience, Mr Schmidt? I dare you to say that again."

Bonnie stepped forward and put a hand on Freddy's shoulder, preventing him from going any further. The bear turned his head around to glare at the bunny while Foxy put his arm in front of the guard in a small attempt to shield him. Chica was just staring between the two, a scared look on her features. The room felt very tense.

Bonnie finally spoke up. "Freddy. Mike is just trying his best here, and it's true that we _have_ been having troubles during our performances. Don't try to deny it." At this, the bear looked down slightly. "Maybe having a mechanic look at us won't be such a bad idea. It'll only be for a little while, right Mike? Bonnie asked as he looked at the guard.

Mike didn't really know. By the way Nathan was talking, it seemed as though he wanted a permanent mechanic to be around the restaurant. But Bonnie was giving him a look that said, 'Just say yes, for all of our sakes.' Mike nodded.

"Yeah. Just until you guys are fixed." Mike said, giving a nervous smile. Foxy piped up.

"Come on, Freddy. The lad jus' be thinkin' about our welfare. Don't be so harsh on him, eh?" He said as he patted the guard's shoulder with his good hand. Chica walked to Mike's other side.

"Yeah! Don't be mean Freddy. Mike's doing the same as you. He's looking out for us!" The chicken said as she put her hands on her hips. Mike was at a total loss for words. He never thought that they would speak against the bear, especially on his account.

Freddy was also dumbfounded. His usual poker face was replaced with one of shock as he just looked at the others, not really knowing what to say. This gave Mike a feeling of satisfaction as he finally felt like the one in control.

Freddy finally gave a defeated sigh and fixed his bowtie in an attempt to calm himself down.

"Since you all seem to agree with this idea...then I must also concur. You win, Mr Schmidt, we will see your...mechanic." Mike couldn't help but feel the acid come from the last word.

"Um...great! So...that brings me to my next...topic..." Mike rubbed the back of his neck. He was _not_ looking forward to this...

"Oh? And what would _that_ be, Mr Schmidt?" Freddy asked, crossing his arms. All of the robots were now looking at him.

"Well...the guy that's going to be taking the job...wants to meet you. Tomorrow night."

Chica tilted her head. "Why does he want to meet us?"

One of Bonnie's towering ears twitched. "Does he know about us? Being sentinent and all?"

Mike sighed. "Yeah, he does. In fact...he was a night guard before...in the..um..old restaurant."

This caught Freddy's attention. "Is that so?"

"Wha' be the lad's name?" Foxy asked.

"Um...does the name, Jeremy Fitzgerald, mean anything to you guys?"

The room was completely silent as all four animatronics just stared at him. They all narrowed their eyes.

 _'Ah crap.'_ Mike thought to himself. How was he going to explain _this_ one to them?

XXXXXXXXXX

Well. That's another chapter done! Yes. I gave Jeremy an Irish accent. Please don't hate me. A review is always super helpful so please don't hesitate to leave one! Till then. Peace out!


	7. The Truce

If anyone has any canon characters they would like to see in this then please don't hesitate to message me some suggestions. Maybe I'll even make a sequel to this story once I'm done, who knows? Anyway. Time for the next chapter!

XXXXXXXXXX

Mike shifted a little under the unwavering stares of the animatronics. Everyone was completely silent.

 _'Guess they remember Jeremy then. Damn, they look pretty mad.'_ Mike thought to himself, glancing between the four of them.

After a few moments, Chica, thankfully, was the first to break the silence.

"I remember that endo. He was really mean! He even tore both my arms off!" She said.

Bonnie nodded bitterly. "He tore off the top half of my face..."

"The lad used to blind me with tha' wretched flashlight!" Foxy spoke up, growling slightly.

"So why is he coming back?" Bonnie asked, a frown evident on his features.

Chica tilted her head. "Is he going back into costume?"

Mike tried to process this information as he stuttered for an answer. Jeremy had done that to them? He _was_ a little...strange, but he didn't think the guy was really capable of doing something like that. Still, he was probably trying to gain an advantage over them by disassembling them. It had obviously worked, since he was still alive. But it was also obvious that these guys had a grudge against him.

"Well...no...but that's because he's not-" He stopped as Chica stomped her foot.

"Then he can't come back! He broke all the rules and tried to destroy us!" She said, clearly annoyed.

Freddy smirked. The tables had turned in his favour again. He was in control, once more.

"Mr Schmidt, are you _really_ trying to help us? You are bringing in someone that clearly wants to scrap us. Was that your real plan all along? To get rid of us?" The bear asked, giving the guard an accusing look.

Foxy and Chica gave the guard hurt looks while Bonnie glared.

"But...why would you wanna do that to us, Mike? We thought you liked us..." Chica mumbled sadly.

"Aye...we certainly liked you, lad...but maybe it were misplaced...since yer wantin' to be scrappin' us.." Foxy added, laying a comforting hand on Chica's shoulder.

Bonnie crossed his arms, looking away. "Figures. You probably still see us as a threat, right?"

Damn it. They all probably thought he was some kind of monster now. He _needed_ to explain to them.

"Of course not! Jeremy's changed. He wants to _help_ you guys! He wants to meet you all and make amends for what he's done. I just want to see you all get fixed up so you can be in top condition when you all perform, and Jeremy's the perfect guy to do it! Besides, he's not an endoskeleton. He's a human, like me." Mike explained. He glared at Freddy. "It's _him_ you should be mad at. He only told you that Jeremy was an endo because he wanted you guys to hunt him down and kill him, just like the other guards!"

Freddy scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Of _course_ you would say that. Like I said, you're just like the rest of them. You try to cover up your own sins and point the finger at someone else." The bear said, pulling that awful smile again. "Disgusting."

Mike couldn't take it anymore. He had it up to _here_ with this crap.

"Oh well that's classic, coming from you! Now you listen to me, _fuzzy._ You claim that all adults are 'sinful' and 'disgusting' when it's _you_ who's killed so many innocent people! _You're_ the one who's been manipulating these guys to do your dirty work! What about the kids you love, huh? News flash, they grow up! So what, are they all 'sinful' too? Huh? Oh, and let's not forget all the kids you've probably left motherless or fatherless because _you've_ killed them! It's because of _you_ that all those kids are grieving. You stand there, all high and mighty, claiming to be in the right when it's really _you_ that's the disgusting and sinful monster here!"

Mike was breathing heavily at this point while the animatronics just stared at him. They were all showing a mix of emotions. Bonnie looked shocked, Chica just looked downright scared while Foxy looked like a mixture between the two. Freddy, however, showed no emotions whatsoever. He just looked so...calm. Bastard. They all stayed like this for a few moments before Freddy finally spoke up.

"I want you three to leave. Mr Schmidt and I need to talk alone. I don't want you to be present should things turn... _ugly."_ Freddy ordered, his eyes still focused on the guard.

"But Freddy..." Chica weakly started but was cut off by a look from the bear.

"Come on Chica...how about we make some pizza or something, huh?" Bonnie softly suggested while gently leading the chicken away, towards the kitchen.

Foxy, however, didn't budge. Freddy noticed this and narrowed his eyes at the fox. "Foxy. Go back to your cove."

The animatronic shook his head. "I don' think so. Wha' does the lad mean? Those other endo's...were they actually humans? And ye still wanted us to stuff em? Why?" Foxy asked, his ears folding back.

"Foxy, I will not ask you twice. Go. _Now._ " The bear demanded.

This seemed to shut the fox up as he hesitantly took a few steps back, before turning around completely and going back towards his cove, his head down. Mike and Freddy were the only ones left in the room. There was an uncomfortable silence as the two stared eachother down.

In the past, Mike would have probably regretted what he just said. But not this time. The bear had this coming for a _long_ time. He didn't care if Freddy killed him. At least he would be able to join his parents again.

"Well now, aren't you a fascinating one?" Freddy was now circling the guard, his hands behind his back. He stopped right in front of Mike. The bear was so close that he could probably reach out and touch him. He didn't budge though, he didn't even flinch, he just didn't _care_ anymore.

"Oh cut the crap, Freddy. If you're gonna kill me, just get it over with." Mike seethed. Freddy held up his hand, silencing him.

"Do you know what you have just done? You've crushed them. You just crushed my family with your wretched words. They will never forgive themselves now, or me, for that matter. There was a _reason_ that I never told them about the other guards."

Mike crossed his arms. "What reason is that? They actually have a heart and you don't?" The bear chuckled.

"Amusing but no. I take it that you've probably heard about the murders that occured here, yes?" Freddy asked.

Mike rose an eyebrow. "Yes..."

"Do you know who murdered them, Mr Schmidt?" The animatronic tilted his head. Mike didn't really know where this conversation was going...

"I don't really know. A sick and twisted whackjob though, that's for sure." Mike said, his confusion growing.

"He was a night guard. Just like you." Realization suddenly dawned on the guard.

"Wait...so that's why you've been killing guards all these years? To protect the children?" Mike softly asked.

"Indeed, Mr Schmidt. Night is the only time we can free roam completely and...the only time the children can communicate with us..." Freddy explained, his normal calm tone had a hint of...sadness to it. This was new.

"You mean...the spirits of the dead kids? They're still here?" The rumours must have been true then. They _were_ haunting the suits.

"Yes. All five children are still here with us. Each one sticking to each of us. Although I am much more aware of them than the other three."

Wait. Five? They were only four animatronics. Where was the fifth child? Was it with the Marionette? Were the others not aware of the spirits...?

"What about the fifth child?" Mike questioned. Freddy shook his head.

"It matters not. I am afraid that I still must get rid of you. The child's spirit attached to me has grown restless ever since you arrived. I can only assume the worst. I do apologise, Mr Schmidt." The bear took a step forward while Mike stepped back.

"Wait! This isn't the way to help the children! Killing those other guards didn't make a difference and neither will killing me." Mike tried to reason.

"You do not know what is best for them. You are only trying to weasel your way out of the inevitable." Freddy continued his slow advance. Mike stopped and held his ground.

"Trust me, I'm not. In fact, I'll even welcome death." This stopped Freddy as he tilted his head with a slightly confused look.

"Odd. Every other human we have captured have begged for their lives to be spared. Some have even fought for it. Why on earth would you welcome it?"

Mike snorted. "I don't need to explain myself to you. So come on, you gonna do it or not?"

 _"Stop."_

Mike felt his hair stand on edge. Both he and Freddy looked to their left to see the physical form of the Marionette standing a good length away from them. His white mask was blinding compared to the darkness of the room. He was pretty tall too. Standing at nearly the same height as Freddy.

Mike was at a loss for words. He didn't expect this thing to show up _now_ of all times. Freddy seemed just as gobsmacked.

"Y-you're the one that..." The puppet turned to Mike and nodded.

 _"Yes. I am the one that asked you for help."_

This caused Freddy to do a double take.

"Wait. You asked _him_ for help? How dare you! He is just the same as the murderer, they all are!"

The puppet shook his head. _"No Freddy. That is only your delusional way of thinking. Michael is the one that will free their souls. The children's spirits have sensed this. All except for one. The fifth."_

Freddy tried to argue but failed miserably. "But...he can't be! He's an adult! He's-!"

 _"Not every adult is evil. Only a select few. You must understand. Do you not wish to see the children's souls go free?"_

"Well. Of course I do. But-" Freddy was silenced again as the Marionette continued.

 _"Then you must accept the fact that Michael will be the one to do it. Along with the other human."_

Mike piped up. "Um. Excuse me for interrupting but...'other human?'" The puppet looked down to the guard and nodded.

 _"Yes. Fitzgerald. He will be the one to free the fifth child. The golden one."_

Golden one? Jeremy _did_ mention a golden bear showing up in his office. Mike had never seen anything like that around here. Was it only attracted to Jeremy then? And if that was the case, why? What did they need to do?

"But...why us?" Mike asked.

 _"I do not know. It would seem that the spirits have chosen you. But I would imagine it is for good reason. You have a good heart, Michael."_ The Puppet explained, his voice a soft whisper.

Mike felt overwhelmed. He was honoured. But the whole situation was also so...pressurising.

"Thanks...but who are you, exactly? _What_ are you?" The puppet paused for a brief moment, seemingly in deep thought before finally answering.

 _"I am many things. But in this case, I am the guardian of the children's spirits."_

"Alright...What do Jeremy and I need to do?" Mike questioned. His heart dropped when the Marionette shook his head.

 _"I am afraid that is something you must find out on your own. I am sorry I cannot tell you more, but I am afraid my time is up for now."_ His body started to fade slightly.

 _"I will try to help you whenever I can. Good luck. Michael. Freddy."_

The puppet completely disappeared, leaving Mike and Freddy to be the only ones in the room. Mike had completely forgotten about the bear. He turned to look at him. The animatronic looked...upset. Probably because of what the Marionette had said. Mike sighed and looked up to him.

"Look. I know you care a lot about those kids and believe it or not, I do too. So...how about we put all of this behind us and work together to free them, huh? A temporary truce." Mike suggested. Freddy gave him a long, hard stare before sighing.

"It would appear that I have no choice." The bear hesitantly held out a paw. "Very well, Mr Schmidt. Let us...'work together', as you put it." Mike took it and they shook. The bear tightened his grip slightly and lowered his voice. "But only for now." He let go and Mike held his hand, narrowing his eyes at the bear before sighing.

So much for putting it all behind them.

"Freddy? Mike? Are you guys ok now?"

They turned to see Chica and Bonnie across the room. Foxy was also poking his head out of the curtains with a curious look.

Freddy took off his tophat and held it to his chest, his head down, a sorrowful look on his face.

"I do hope you can all forgive me. Allow me to explain..." Mike cut him off.

"No. We'll both explain. I suggest you guys get seats because it's a _long_ story." He smiled and ignored the mildly surprised look the bear was giving him.

When they were all seated, Mike and Freddy looked at eachother. Mike decided to start off.

"Ok. So you know that argument we had earlier on..? Well...things kinda took a turn.."

The rest of the night was spent explaining everything to the rest of the animatronics.

xxxxx

Mike stood at the restaurant's entrance, waiting for Jeremy to arrive. He checked his watch. It was 12am.

Freddy and Mike had explained everything to the other animatronics and although they were confused by the whole situation, they agreed to help. They had also forgiven Freddy for decieving them like he did, though they were much more wary around him now. They also expressed their guilt for what they had done to the other guards. Mike tried to comfort them but to no avail. Time was the only thing that could help them now. It was nice though, in a way, it showed that they _did_ care. He wasn't so worried about introducing Jeremy to them now. After all, now they had the Marionette's protection, in a sense.

He waited for about 20 minutes before Jeremy finally showed up. He had a bitter look on his face.

"Ugh. Sorry 'bout the wait there. The buses were running late. As per usual." He sighed and took off his glasses, rubbing at his temples.

"It's alright. I know that all too well..." Mike chuckled lightly, he knew the bus time schedule like the back of his hand, they were never on time. He opened the door and gestured for Jeremy to go through first. "They're pretty eager to see you." Jeremy gave him a look of disbelief.

"You sure they're not just eager to turn me into one of them furries?" He asked as he walked through, Mike sighed and shut the doors behind them, getting his keys out to lock up.

"Alright, so where are the blighters hiding at...Oh shit!" Mike quickly turned around, expecting the worst. He was surprised to see quite a comical sight play out before him.

Chica had somehow managed to sneak up on them and was now tightly hugging a struggling Jeremy, even lifting him off his feet.

"Hi there! It's so good to finally meet you properly! I'm so sorry that we tried to stuff you into a suit! Can you ever forgive us?" Mike swore he heard something crack as she hugged him even tighter. Jeremy tried to push himself off but was no match against the animatronic's strength.

"You're bloody killing me right now!" He managed to wheeze out.

"Chica. Let Mr Fitzgerald go." Freddy ordered as he, Bonnie and Foxy finally came into view.

She huffed but did as she was told. Mike had to hold Jeremy steady as he stumbled slightly, holding his diaphragm as he gasped for air.

"Bloody Hell Mike...warn a guy next time, yeah?" Jeremy said, in between breaths. Mike gave a sheepish smile.

"Sorry...I forgot that she could do that..."

"I do apologise Mr Fitzgerald. Chica has been anticipating your arrival. We all have." Freddy gave the man a smile. Although Mike could see a small glint in the bear's plastic eye.

"Huh...You weren't kidding when you said they had all changed..." Jeremy crossed his arms, looking them all up and down. He stopped when he layed his eyes on Bonnie, who was glaring at him, and smirked slightly.

"Well, I see you've finally got your ugly mug back. Eh. I kinda preferred it when you didn't have a face to be perfectly honest. Mike, what do you think?" He casually asked the guard, who gave him a shocked look.

Bonnie snarled.

"Oh yeah? Maybe my fist can fix _your_ face." He started to advance but was held back by Freddy and Foxy, who shook their heads. Mike tried to calm him down.

"Easy there Bonnie...he was only joking. Um, isn't that right Jeremy?" The guard asked, glancing a hopeful look his way. The man shrugged.

"Not reall- ow!" He glared at Mike who had roughly elbowed him. The guard shook his head in a subtle manner. "Ugh. Fine. I was joking." This seemed to calm the rabbit down, although he still had his eyes narrowed.

"So Mike said that you came to fix us?" Chica asked, clasping her hands.

"Well...I suppose I did agree to take the job if I didn't wind up dead by now so...I guess I don't really have much of a choice then, do I?" He turned his head to Mike. "You can tell Nathan that I accept his shitty job offer." Mike smiled.

"Well...I won't put it in quite those terms...but I'll let him know." Jeremy nodded but cursed when he was once again, whisked off his feet by Chica.

"Yay! You can fix us up and we'll talk and play and it'll be so much fun!" She laughed in joy as she hugged him again.

"Oh fuck me..." Jeremy grumbled.

Mike chuckled but stopped when he saw something watching them from the left hallway. It was hard to tell from the darkness but it looked a bit like a bear.

A golden bear.

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Another chapter done! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I know I'm having a fantastic time when writing it! Till next time. Peace out!


	8. The Golden One

I'd like to thank WH1T3W1NG for helping me with this chapter, because it just did not want to write itself. Thanks bro!

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Jeremy had to admit, it was nice to have a job again.

When he had quit his night guard job at the old restaurant, he nearly went broke. Nobody would take him on because they all thought he was a raving lunatic. He tried to tell anyone and everyone he knew about how the animatronics had nearly killed his ass. But alas, they didn't believe him, not even his own family, who tended to avoid him nowadays. He didn't really care anyway, he never really was the sociable type.

But he _did_ need money.

It had been a few days since Mike had first approached him with the job, and at first he had wanted to punch the little bastard, but after talking with him, he actually wasn't really that bad a fellow. He believed his rambles, which was a first, and he had actually managed to tame those robot assholes. Well, to an extent. The rabbit seemed to hold a grudge against him. Probably because of the face thing. He'd only took them apart to give him an edge, and it had worked, he was still alive after all. Wasn't his fault that they looked hilarious at the same time.

He decided to get to work on the robots as soon as possible, since he was itching to work on something again. It had been a while since he had fixed any machinery, and it felt nice to have the tools back in his hand again, it just felt...natural. He was afraid his toolbox would gather dust over the years due to the lack of use. The animatronics seemed glad to get fixed again too, well, Chica was anyway. The other three seemed wary of him, and for Jeremy, the feeling was mutual.

He was currently working on Freddy in the Spare Parts room. Bonnie was closely watching him while Mike and Chica were seated on the other side of the room, listening to another one of Foxy's stories. Mike made sure to stay a fair distance away from the pirate as he tended to swing his hook around while telling his tales, probably because he got so into it.

"...an' so there I was, on the edge of the cliff, starin' into the eyes of the great beast. Me crew were down for the coun' and all I had was me trusty sword. We stood there fer wha' seemed like hours before finally, he lurched forward, opened his jaws an'-!"

"Mike, be a doll and hand me the wrench, would ya?" Jeremy asked, holding out his hand, eyes still focused on Freddy's elbow joint.

The metal fox growled and glared at Jeremy, clearly frustrated at being interrupted. Chica gave the mechanic an annoyed glance too, he didn't really seem to notice though. Freddy, however, decided to speak up.

"Mr Fitzgerald, while I do appreciate you fixing us up, I would ask that you do not interrupt my friend while he is speaking." Freddy's voice had a dark undertone to it, making Mike act immediately to avoid any quarrels.

"Jeremy didn't mean to. He was probably so caught up in his work that he didn't even hear Foxy talking. Right?" Mike put emphasis on the last word to give Jeremy the hint. The mechanic just gave him a dry look and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. Sure. Whatever. Sorry. Look, are you gonna give it over or not? I don't have all night, y'know." Mike went through the box and handed the wrench to him, muttering an apology.

"Finally. Thank you." He twirled it around in his hand a little before going back to fixing the joint.

"So how's it looking? Is he almost fixed?" Mike asked, peering over Jeremy's shoulder to get a better look, this made the mechanic shift a little. He didn't like someone being this damn close to him.

"He's almost fixed. Just got his lower half to go and then I'll start on the rabbit." He gestured to Bonnie, who narrowed his eyes slightly.

"I have a name, y'know."

The bunny's glare only intensified though as Jeremy completely ignored him. The mechanic shifted again.

"Look, um...I don't mean to be a bastard but...would you mind stepping away a bit? I'm not exactly one for...close proximity."

Mike quickly stepped back. "S-sorry!"

Jeremy shook his head and waved his hand in a dissmissive manner.

"Nah, you're alright. It's my problem, not yours." With that, Jeremy got back to work on Freddy. Mike turned to see Chica and Foxy giving him looks with their arms crossed. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry you guys...Where were we?"

Mike smiled and walked back over to them, only to be stopped by a purple arm blocking his way. He looked up to see Bonnie, who's towering ears were twitching slightly.

"Actually...Would you mind if I had a word with you? Um. Alone?" The bunny asked, nodding his head towards the door. Mike blinked. What did the animatronic have to say that he didn't want the others to hear? This immediately put the guard on edge, but he nodded anyway.

"Um. Sure thing." He turned to the now pouting Foxy and Chica. "Don't worry guys, I'll be back in a minute, alright?" They sighed and nodded. Mike couldn't help but feel a little guilty, especially with the faces they were pulling. For robots, they sure were expressive.

As they walked out, Mike shut the door behind him and turned to the rabbit with his arms crossed.

"So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" Mike asked.

Bonnie paused for a moment, eyes downcast, before looking back to the guard again.

"I don't like him." He simply said. This confused Mike a little.

"Um. Could you be a little more specific?" The animatronic rolled his eyes.

"Jeremy. I don't think he should be here." This made the guard frown a little.

"He's not really that bad a guy...and the Marionette told us that he needs to be here. He's the one that's going to free the fifth child, right?"

"But how do we even know that? Why does the puppet show up _now_? Why is it that you and Jeremy are the ones that need to save the kids? Sorry, but I just think it's a load of nonsense." Bonnie said with a frown.

Mike couldn't argue with him there. All of this really _was_ out of the blue. He was still having trouble dealing with the information himself. Jeremy didn't even _know_ yet, he just thought he was doing his job, nothing else. He would need to tell him soon though. But first he had to put the animatronic at ease.

"Look. I don't really blame you for questioning the whole situation. Hell, _I'm_ having a hard time believing it. But...at least it's something, right? It's better than having no chance at all."

The purple bunny tilted his head. "But why are you helping us? We tried to kill you. Yet you're going out of your way to get a mechanic to fix us, and now you're even trying to help the spirits of the kids. Nobody's forcing you, yet you're still doing it. Why?"

Now this was a tough question. His boss was the one that wanted the mechanic, and even offered Mike a bonus at the end of the week if he succeeded, which he did. Yet he wasn't really bothering about the money, he just wanted to see the animatronics perform at their best. He almost felt...responsible for them. Even Freddy. He couldn't really describe why. But he would need to give some sort of reason as Bonnie was looking at him expectantly.

"Well...because you guys are my friends." Mike said, hoping it was a good enough answer. However, this just seemed to confuse the rabbit even more.

"Friends?"

Mike sighed and tried his best to explain. "Well...I mean it's true that I used to be terrified of you all since you were trying to kill me and all that...but...that wasn't your fault. You just thought you were doing the right thing, and once I got to know you guys better, I realised that you weren't monsters at all, just misunderstood."

The animatronic scowled. "It was Freddy's fault. He made us do it. He-" Mike shook his head.

"Y'know what? I don't really think it's his fault either. Sure, he was the one behind the killings and nothing can really excuse what he did to those other guards..."

This made Bonnie look down, his ears drooping slightly. Mike noticed this and tried to put a hand on the animatronic's shoulder, although he only reached about halfway due to how short he was compared to the bunny.

" _But,_ I think the reason he done it was because he wanted to protect all of you. He probably realised that adults _can_ actually be dangerous and didn't want you guys or any more children getting hurt. He just misunderstood."

The rabbit scowled. "Then why is _he_ in there?" He asked, pointing to the door. He probably meant Jeremy.

"Because...he's your best chance at getting fixed _and_ setting the children's spirits free, you want that, right?" Mike asked as the robot looked down.

"I guess..." He mumbled. Mike nodded, satisfied that they had reached an agreement. He decided to get one more point across though.

"Freddy probably doesn't like Jeremy being in there either. He really does care about you guys...so cut him a little slack, yeah?" Mike asked, smiling slightly. Bonnie gave him an amused look.

"You're defending the one that wanted to kill you? You're a really weird guy, Mike."

The guard sighed. "So I'm told." The animatronic smiled a little and they went back through. Jeremy was now working on Freddy's knee joints. Mike was a little surprised to see the bear himself staring at the guard as he walked in. Feeling a little uncomfortable, he just nodded to the bear.

"Hey Freddy."

"Mr Schmidt." The animatronic responded, still keeping his eyes trained on the man as he awkwardly made his way to Chica and Foxy, who were starting to look a little impatient.

"Sorry for making you guys wait." Mike said as he sat next to Chica, who was fidgeting on the seat.

"It's ok Mike! We're just really glad you're back. Now we can finally find out what happens." Foxy nodded.

"Aye. Now where was I...?" The fox cleared his voice box, which made Mike wince due to the static sound it made. He raised his hook and started speaking again.

"So tha great beastie snapped his jaws an' there was no way out fer Cap'n Foxy, so I-"

"Mike, is there a screwdriver over there by any chance?"

Both Foxy and Chica growled while Mike deadpanned and looked over to Jeremy.

"I don't think so..."

"Have a look in the toolbox then. Freddy has a screw loose here, and I'm not talking about his mental issues." This resulted in a death glare from the bear.

Mike sighed and rummaged through the toolbox.

 _'It's a miracle this guy's even still alive.'_ He thought to himself as he searched. Coming up empty, he shook his head.

"Nope. No screwdrivers in here." At this, Jeremy stood up.

"There's probably some tools in that office of yours then. You mind taking me there?"

Mike was about to answer but yelped when his arm was grabbed by Chica.

"No! He can't go away again, we have to finish the story!" She whined. Jeremy crossed his arms.

"Well I'm sorry to burst your bubble, duck. But I think my job is a little more important than your stupid stories." Chica let go of Mike's arm as she gasped, putting her hands to her beak.

"How dare you! I'm a chicken, not a duck!"

Freddy gave the mechanic a smirk.

"Don't be upset Chica. Our friend has so few brain cells that he probably couldn't tell the difference between the two." This really riled Jeremy up.

"Do you _want_ to get fucking fixed or not? You bastards are lucky I'm not trying to take you apart again." Freddy and Bonnie narrowed their eyes while Foxy snarled. Mike decided to try and resolve the situation quickly and grabbed Jeremy's arm, pulling him along.

"So, uh, hey, you said you wanted to go to the office, right? Well, let's go then! We'll be back in a bit guys!" Mike cheerily said while pushing Jeremy out and shutting the door quickly.

"You didn't need to bloody push me out..." Jeremy grumbled as he dusted himself off. Mike sighed and rubbed his temples.

"You're lucky they didn't kill you..."

"Oh for the love of- It was their fault! Those assholes think their fucking story time is more important than getting fixed! Why did I even take this job...?"

"Because you, sir, need money. Just like me. Now come on, you said you needed a screwdriver right?" With that, Mike pulled Jeremy along towards the office.

xxxxx

"So...there was something I needed to talk to you about..." Mike trailed off as they walked down the darkened hallway.

Jeremy gave him a curious look. "Oh yeah? What's that?"

"Well...the Marionette appeared to me again and-" Jeremy cut in.

"So the puppet's still here then? The Hell does he want?" Mike sighed, trying to think of the best way to word this.

"Well as it turns out, there _are_ children haunting the suits and apparently they've chosen us to...free them.." Mike cringed at the look Jeremy was giving him.

"You _are_ joking, right?"

Mike gave a weak chuckle. "I wish I was..."

Jeremy shook his head.

"Look Mike, you seem like a decent guy and you've got way more balls than me with all the shit that's going on. But I'm staying out of it. If you want to be a fucking Ghostbuster or whatever then be my guest, but you leave me out of it. I'm just gonna do my job, get my paycheck and leave. Got it?"

"But-"

"End of discussion." Jeremy walked on, while a solemn Mike followed. After a few more moments of walking, they finally reached the office.

"Holy Christ...when was the last time you put a duster through this place?" Jeremy asked, a disgusted look on his face. Mike shrugged.

"I've never really had the time. Defending against killer robots and all that."

Jeremy chuckled. "Amen to that, friend." He started looking through the drawers while Mike picked up the tablet and started flicking through the cameras, more out of habit than anything else.

It was weird, seeing the building empty. He knew the others were still in the Spare Parts room but something in his mind was telling him that they were still hunting him and that he needed to be on his guard, or risk getting killed and stuffed into a suit. It was something that was hard-wired into his system after working a few weeks here. Jeremy probably had the same instinct.

As he kept going through each camera, he couldn't help but notice that the Marionette hadn't made an appearance tonight. Mike sorta wished the phantom puppet would just show up and tell him what to do. He _wanted_ to help the spirits, he just didn't know _how._

He had also noticed that the golden bear hadn't showed up either. The only time was when Jeremy had first arrived, which was a few nights ago, and it was only a brief glimpse. The puppet had made it clear that there was some sort of connection between Jeremy and the fifth child. Since apparently he was the only one who could help it.

 _'I wonder why that is...'_ Mike thought as he glanced over to the ebony haired mechanic as he kept going through the drawers, cursing to himself. He looked back to the tablet and flicked to Camera 2B, his eyes widened and he almost dropped the device.

On the poster was the maw of a golden bear with pitch black sockets for eyes. It's face took up the entire picture, this caused the guard to have mild heart palpitations.

 _'What the Hell?! That wasn't there before!'_ Mike started to panic and was about to call Jeremy over, but it was too late.

"Hey, I finally got the screwdri- What the fucking Hell?!" Mike looked over to see Jeremy jumping back from the table. He dropped the tablet and scrambled back himself.

The bear that was on the poster a moment ago was now sitting on the desk in a slouched position. His jaw was hanging open and his eyes, just like in the picture, were black with tiny white pinpricks, which were following the guard and mechanic, who were now pressing themselves up against the wall.

They stood there for a few moments in complete silence. The bear made no move to attack them and the two men were too afraid to budge. Mike, however, glanced over to the open doorway, thinking that if they made a run for it, they could get help. The golden bear didn't seem dangerous but he didn't want to take any chances. However, before he could do anything, both doors slammed shut, preventing any form of escape. Both men yelped and kept their backs pressed against the wall.

 _'Shit...what's this thing trying to do?!'_ Mike thought as his eyes darted around the room. They could try the windows...but the glass was so thick, there was no way they could smash through. Jeremy kept a firm grip on the screwdriver and fearfully glanced at Mike. They both looked back to the golden bear as it started twitching violently.

 _ **"I-i-i-ittttttsss-s-s..."**_

It stopped and looked directly at them.

 _ **"IT'S ME."**_

xxxxx

Bonnie was really starting to get annoyed.

It was his turn to get fixed and that idiot mechanic still hadn't came back yet. He was starting to get a little concerned for Mike as well, not that he would ever admit it. Foxy and Chica however...they just wouldn't shut up about him. They were really starting to give the mechanical rabbit a migraine, so he had decided to go get the two humans.

Freddy was hesitant to let him go alone but Chica had managed to convince him, she wanted to go too but Bonnie couldn't really take much more of her constant complaining.

Sighing, he made it to the office and was surprised to see the door closed. He gave it a knock.

"Hey, come on guys, how long does it take to get a freakin screwdriver?"

He heard a muffled shout come from inside.

"Help!" It sounded like Mike. Concerned, he turned back to look through the window. The rabbit's eyes widened when he saw the two humans cowering at the back of the room, looking at what appeared to be some sort of animatronic.

"It can't be...him." The bunny whispered, fear creeping into his voicebox.

But it was.

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Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please tell me what you think of the story so far and thank you so much for taking the time to read it. You guys are awesomesauce! Till next time. Peace out!


	9. The Planting of the Seed

Well Scott, you've done it again. Not that I'm complaining, in fact, I love it! Fnaf 4 has to be the creepiest one yet. Night 5 though, oh lawdy. Anyway, here's another chapter for you all!

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All was still inside the office. It was like time had completely frozen.

Mike and Jeremy fearfully stared at the golden bear and he stared back. Bonnie was currently pounding at the window.

"Hey! Let 'em go!" The purple bunny angrily shouted. But the bear didn't even acknowledge him. Both doors were still shut.

"Mike...What the bloody Hell do we do?" Jeremy asked through gritted teeth, his eyes still on the golden animatronic in front of them. Mike just glanced up at the man before looking at Bonnie, who was still shouting and pounding at the window. The guard shook his head and put his hand up, silently asking the bunny to stop.

The purple animatronic looked at the guard in a concerned manner but stopped anyway. His ears perked up slightly as he thought of an idea.

"I'll go get Freddy! Just hang on, okay? We'll get you out of there!" The rabbit didn't wait for an answer and sprinted down the hall. Mike gulped.

 _'Please hurry.'_ The guard looked back to the bear, who twitched slightly.

 _ **"So you finally came back."**_ The golden animatronic said. His voice sounded distorted and filled with static. He seemed to be talking to Jeremy. The mechanic flinched.

"Uh...sure did. I...um...remember you from the..old restaurant. Used to scare me like a little bitch...g-good times, huh..?" Jeremy said while nervously chuckling. The bear, however, didn't seem to find it amusing.

 _ **"He misses you."**_

This made the ebony-haired mechanic tilt his head slightly.

"I'm...sorry, who misses me?"

 _ **"The child. He wanted to see you."**_

"Look, um...I'm sorry but...why's he so interested in me? I don't remember knowing any...kids." Mike couldn't help but notice that the last word seemed almost...forced. Was the mechanic hiding something? The ghost animatronic's blunt response answered the guard's question.

 _ **"You lie."**_

Jeremy shifted on the spot. "Look, I...I don't know what you want from me...but just don't hurt us...please." The golden bear tilted his head, which looked as though it was about to pop off.

 _ **"Hurting you was never our intention."**_

Mike decided to speak up. "What do you mean, _'our'_ intention?" The animatronic slowly turned his head to look at the brunette, who flinched. His eyes were so...empty.

 _ **"The puppet and I have observed you both for a long time now. We needed to make sure you were...suitable...for the task."**_

"You mean...freeing the children?" Mike asked. The bear nodded, although it was barely visible.

 _"Fredbear was there the night your door stopped working, Michael. The night you met Foxy."_

Mike blinked and Jeremy jumped slightly while cursing as the Marionette materialised beside the bear.

"Wait, was he the one that...?" Mike trailed off, looking deep in thought as he came to a realisation. The puppet nodded, confirming his thought.

 _"Yes, it was no accident. But fate."_ The Marionette explained. Jeremy shook his head and stepped forward.

"No, sorry, I still don't fucking get it. Why us? Why not choose some other poor bloke to free the little kids? I've had it up to _here_ with all this bullcrap. All I want to do is get on with my job and my life, and I'm sure Mike wants the same." The mechanic walked up to the door, which was still shut. "Now could you open this fucking door?"

He smacked the red button, but it still wouldn't budge.

 _ **"You should know the reason why we chose you specifically, Jeremy. The child will not move on for two reasons, one of them being you."**_

The mechanic kept his back to the three of them and hung his head. Mike noticed that the man was beginning to tremble, his hands were clenched into fists, one of them still clutching the screwdriver. The guard wanted to ask if he was okay but never got the chance as the mechanic spoke after a few moments of silence.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Mike had never heard Jeremy talk like this before. His voice was so full of venom. What on earth was he hiding...?

 _ **"You can't run away from the truth forever."**_ Fredbear said as the Marionette nodded.

 _'You must accept it. Only then will he truly find peace, once the other obstacle is out of the way, of course."_

"Wait. What other obstacle?" Mike asked. He really needed some answers. He flinched slightly as they both turned their heads to him. They were just so creepy. Especially Fredbear, why did he look so dead compared to the other animatronics?

The puppet spoke first.

 _"The small room. It holds something."_ Fredbear was the next one to speak.

 _ **"Something we all fear."**_

"What the Hell could you lot be afraid of? You're the embodiment of fucking terror."

 _"He is the reason we are here."_

 _ **"But we cannot speak of him. Not now."**_

Jeremy rubbed his temples and sighed in a frustrated. "Just stop with the riddles and bloody tell us..." Mike couldn't blame him for being so curt. The way these guys were beating around the bush was getting a tad ridiculous. What _could_ they be afraid of? Both animatronics looked at eachother.

 _"It would appear that our time is up."_

Fredbear looked at Jeremy, who narrowed his eyes.

 _ **"We must go. But I will find you again. I hope that you will come to accept the truth by that time. It will happen soon. You must both prepare."**_

"Prepare for _what_?" Mike asked in an exasperated manner. What were they not telling them?! But he was once again disappointed as they both faded away, they were only left with the Puppet's soft whisper echoing around them.

 _"Soon..."_

Both men jumped when the doors unlocked and opened up. Mike decided to look at the tablet and check how much power was left, just to make sure there was enough to last the night. Jeremy simply watched him with a dumbfounded look on his face.

" _Really_? You're going to check for power after all the shit that's just happened?" Mike just turned and gave him a dry look.

"Hey. Your job may not be on the line if the power goes out, but mine is. So shut up." Jeremy was about to retort but stopped when they both heard heavy, metal footsteps running towards the office, this made both the guard and the mechanic go on edge. Mike had to resist the urge to punch the door button when Freddy stopped at the doorway, followed by Bonnie.

"Are you two alright? Bonnie told me what happened. Where is he?" The bear asked, a slightly concerned look on his features. Mike had never seen the animatronic look at him like this before. It was strange. Jeremy answered before Mike even had the chance to open his mouth.

"Yeah, we're fine. Golden McFuzzBear and No-Face decided to leave before you lot got here." He said as he twirled the screwdriver around in his hand. Both Freddy and Bonnie tilted their heads while Mike just gave him a bewildered look. Where on earth did he come up with these names?

Jeremy noticed the silence that followed his answer and and stopped playing around with the tool to look at them.

"...What?"

Mike decided to step in. "What he _meant_ to say was that Golden Freddy...er...Fredbear, and the Marionette just came by to...say a few words." He glanced at Jeremy who refused to look at anyone. Freddy rose a mechanical eyebrow.

"Oh? And what did they have to say?" The bear asked. Jeremy answered quickly.

"Nothing much. Just a bunch of shit about spirits and...stuff." The mechanic mumbled. Mike frowned at him and this didn't escape Freddy's notice.

"Mr Schmidt? Is there something wrong?"

He sighed as Jeremy shifted uncomfortably on the spot.

"...No. We're fine. Just a little shook up, that's all." Mike said as the mechanic gave him a thankful nod. Bonnie shoved Freddy aside before he could question them any further and examined Mike, who blinked in surprise, not really knowing what to make of the situation.

"He didn't try to hurt you, did he?" The rabbit asked. The brunette shook his head.

"No, of course not. He just...caught us by surprise." The purple bunny seemed to sigh in relief while Jeremy gave him an amused look.

"Geez, rabbit. Not like you to get so concerned about us." This caused Bonnie to, once again, glare at the man.

"For your information, I was _not_ concerned. Chica and Foxy wanted me to check on him." He gestured to Mike. "And my name is _Bonnie._ Not 'rabbit'" He growled. Freddy decided to step in.

"Now, now...there's no need to get upset." He said, putting a paw-like hand on the bunny's shoulder. This seemed to calm him down, and the bear took this opportunity to continue.

"Now, why don't we all head back, hm? Mr Fitzgerald still has a job to do." Both Bonnie and Jeremy grumbled but started to make their way back, leaving only Mike and Freddy in the office. The guard shifted. He didn't want to be alone in the bear's company for too long, given their past encounters. They may have came to a truce, but that wasn't a reason for the animatronic to stop hating him and...hurting him.

"So...shouldn't we be heading back too? There's um...still a lot of work to be done!" Mike said in an upbeat manner, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere. It didn't exactly work though as the bear stared at him calmly. His icy blue eyes seemed to be examining the guard, but there was something else that Mike couldn't quite put a finger on...

"Yes, I suppose we should." The bear gestured for the guard to go first and they walked down the hallway in complete silence. Mike was relieved when he heard the sounds of chatter come from the Spare Parts room and quickened his pace to avoid any more awkwardness. Freddy, however, stopped him in his tracks by grabbing the man's shoulder. Mike's eyes widened slightly but was surprised when the bear immediately let go.

"Mr Schmidt...If you wouldn't mind, I would like to have a little chat with you, alone. But since we're almost out of time here, I would ask that you seek me out tommorow. Would... that be suitable for you?" He asked.

Why was he _asking_ him? This was Freddy, the most feared out of all the animatronics. The one who would stealthily plan out his attacks. The one who was so proud that he refused help unless he absolutely needed it. This was the one that almost killed him on numerous occasions, yet he was asking Mike for...permission. Maybe it was because he was a 'gentleman' and all that. Still, he couldn't help but be a little surprised.

"Um...sure thing, Freddy. I'll...come find you at the start of my shift tomorrow...?" This seemed to satisfy the bear.

"Of course. Thank you." With that, the animatronic opened the door and went back inside the room, while Mike just stood there.

Did Freddy just _thank_ him?

xxxxx

Mike wasn't really sure what to expect tonight.

He was a little worried about the fact that Freddy had wanted to speak to him _alone_. Although they were 'allies', the bear clearly had a grudge against him, and to be perfectly honest, the feeling was mutual. So why he wanted to have a chat was beyond him. If anything, they should be trying to avoid eachother. But, Mike was a man of his word, so as soon as he walked through the doors, he sought the bear out.

But he was soon stopped as Foxy peeked out of the curtains, giving the man a wide grin. Mike smiled back as he walked by the Cove.

"Ahoy there Mikey! How be ye?" The fox asked.

Mikey? That was a new one.

"I'm fine. How about you? You doing alright?" Foxy twisted his hook, making Mike wince slightly. He knew the fox was harmless but...why did they make his teeth and hook so sharp?

"Aye...I be fine...but eh...I was wonderin' if I could ask a favour of ye?" It seemed like everyone needed favours from him these days. It was nice though, certainly better than doing nothing.

"Sure thing. What's up?" The guard asked. Foxy glanced to the side, one of his mechanical ears flicking slightly.

"Well...do ye think ye could...ask Jeremy ta fix ol' Foxy up? Me joints be giving me a tad bit o' trouble with movin' around."

Mike thought about it for a moment. Jeremy _could_ fix Foxy up...but he wouldn't get paid extra, since Nathan only wanted the main three fixed up. However, maybe he could...convince his boss to bring the Pirate's Cove attraction back. It was a long shot, but it could bring in more cash. Not to mention it would make Foxy a lot happier. He looked a little down sometimes, being in that big space all alone. It was probably why the animatronic appreciated his company so much.

"I'll have a talk with my boss. I can't guarantee anything but I think I can get Jeremy to fix you up." He wasn't going to mention anything about bringing Pirate's Cove back just yet. He didn't want to get his hopes up too high.

Foxy beamed. "Thank ye lad. Bear boss be over there." He pointed his hook towards the stage area. "He's been waitin' fer ye. G'luck!" With that, he slipped back through.

"Thanks.." Mike mumbled. He was going to need all the luck he could get at this point.

He found Freddy standing on the stage, completely alone. Bonnie and Chica were nowhere to be seen. Where could they be...?

"Ah. Mr Schmidt. Thank you for coming." Freddy said, holding out his paw. Mike hesitantly took it and was pulled onto the stage with nearly no effort at all. Mike almost forgot how strong these guys were.

"How are your joints holding up? No more stiffness?" Mike asked. Freddy held out his arm and tested it by moving it around.

"None whatsoever. As much as it pains me to say it, your friend did a magnificent job. He's working on Bonnie and Chica right now, as we speak."

So that's where they were. In a sense, he kinda wanted them here now. Freddy took off his tophat and held it for a moment, looking at it in an almost sheepish way.

"You're probably wondering why I called you out here so suddenly, yes?"

Mike crossed his arms. "I _am_ a little curious."

The bear kept his gaze on the hat.

"I would like to...apologise for the way I have treated you these past days. You've only been trying your best to assist us and I may have been a little too...aggressive towards you, and for that, I am truly sorry, Mr Schmidt."

Mike blinked, not really knowing what to say. This was completely out of the blue, even for Freddy. Something must have brought this on.

"Why are you apologising now? I thought you completely despised me or something."

"Well...I did. But that was only because of what happened to the children and...to us. I only wish to protect them, you see."

The bear finally tore his eyes away from the hat to look at Mike.

"The conversation you had with Bonnie the other night...I heard every word."

Oh...So _that_ was the reason. It would also explain why Freddy was staring at him when he came back into the room. Damn, they must have good hearing.

"Oh...you heard that, huh?" Mike asked, rubbing the back of his head. "It was nothing really..."

The bear shook his head.

"Bonnie had every right to be angry, yet you still defended me, despite everything I've done to you. Why?" Damn it. Why did these guys question every single decision he made?

"I guess the reason I said it was because I admire you, in a way. You remind me of my dad, he was a little overprotective too." The bear gave him a curious look while putting his hat back on.

"Is that right?" Mike nodded.

"Yeah, he was always making sure me and my mother were alright. Despite us asking him to lighten up." Mike smiled slightly while Freddy chuckled.

"Well now, we _do_ sound alike. I'll have to meet the man one of these days."

Mike's smile vanished instantly.

"That would be nice but...I'm afraid that can't...happen.." He said, looking down.

"Oh? Why is that? Does he live far away?"

"He and my mother are both dead."

Freddy's ears drooped slightly and he gave the guard a sympathetic look.

"O-oh...I'm terribly sorry, Mr Schmidt." Mike shook his head and forced a smile.

"It's fine. You didn't know." Freddy put a paw on the man's shoulder, but unlike before, his touch was gentle.

"Well, if your father was anything like you, then I'm sure he was a great man." Freddy said in a reassuring manner. Now Mike _really_ didn't know what to say. The bear was actually being friendly to him. It was weird but...nice. It felt nice.

"Thanks...and I accept your apology." Freddy smiled and nodded.

"Now, shall we go and see how Mr Fitzgerald is getting along?"

They both turned their heads to the sound of a large crash coming from the Spare Parts room, along with the unmistakable shout of, "Fucking Hell!"

Mike turned back to the bear.

"Oh, I'm sure he's just _fine._ "

XXXXXXXXXX

So would you guys like to see the return of Pirate's Cove in it's finest form? Let me know and please leave a review if you can! I love reading what you guys have to say. Till next time. Peace out!


	10. The Blossoming

So I've recieved quite a few interesting ideas that I think I might use for the future, I love how creative they are. Also, why on earth is this getting so much attention? I nearly fell out of bed when I saw the insane amount of reviews, favs etc I recieved in just a few hours of posting the chapter. But since you all seem to be loving this so far, here's another one! Enjoy!

XXXXXXXXXX

"Sorry champ. No can do. Foxy'll just have to stay retired."

Mike inwardly groaned. He was currently sitting across from Nathan. They were both in a very small and cramped office. The sounds of children, music and just noise in general could be heard coming from the dining area. The office itself was near the stage area, Mike guessed that Nathan liked to be near the animatronics, they were his moneymakers after all.

The first stage to getting Foxy fixed and getting Pirate's Cove back in business was to clear it with his boss. After all, they couldn't just go repairing animatronics without any permission. All he needed was a little coaxing. Of course, this was easier said than done.

"Please, sir. The kids will love him and he'll probably make you a bucket load of cash." He said, trying to persuade the man.

"Which I'll have to pay to Mr Fitzgerald. Not to mention the cost of repairing that dingy cove." Nathan said, scrunching up his nose a bit.

Mike narrowed his eyes. If his boss had even bothered to go behind the curtains then he would see that the cove was actually pretty clean. All this guy cared about was money and profits...

"Plus, isn't that thing dangerous? It bit a kid, remember?" Nathan frowned. "I can't afford to have something like that happen again. The manager back then had to pay the family compensation, and quite frankly, I don't want to follow in his footsteps."

Mike did hear something about that. Apparently a child got his frontal lobe torn out by one of the animatronics. It was never really clear which one did it though. It was at another restaurant. One that Mike had never been to.

"So how do you know it was Foxy who done it?" Mike asked, hoping to catch the man off guard.

He shrugged. "We don't. He's the one with the sharp teeth and giant hook, so we assumed it was him. Besides, he's a danger to the kids anyway."

Mike stood up and slammed his hands on the desk, making Nathan jump in his chair slightly.

"Foxy is _not_ dangerous. In fact, he's the complete opposite! He's kind, gentle and wouldn't even hurt a fly! He loves kids!" Nathan raised an eyebrow.

"First of all, I would ask that you refrain from speaking to me in that tone. I may be a nice guy, but I'm still your boss. Secondly, how would _you_ know? You only work here during the night."

This made Mike immediately sit down, trying to fumble around for an answer.

"W-well...whenever I came here as a kid myself, I always made a beeline for Pirate's Cove. I spent a lot of time there, with Foxy. That's how I know." This seemed to catch Nathan's attention.

"Oh really now? You came here when you were younger?"

Mike smiled. This was his chance. "Oh yeah, my parents couldn't keep me away. Foxy was always my favourite. In fact, quite a few kids loved him. He always told stories and played with us and all that good stuff. I guess that's why I'm trying to bring him back." He looked down. "It's a real shame to think of him rusting up in there, completely alone..."

He looked back up to see Nathan on the verge of tears.

"Oh no, that poor thing! I know he's just a robot but he must be so lonely! However..." Nathan's face went serious again. "How can you guarantee that this won't be a complete bomb? The business world is harsh, son. Gotta keep that cash flowing. What if the kids think he's too scary or something? Not to mention the parents."

Mike racked his brains for ideas before finally coming up with something. "Well...how about we start off with a Meet and Greet? The children

can meet Foxy and take their pictures with him, for a small fee of course." Mike added, hoping to gain Nathan's favour. "If it all goes well, he can become a permanent attraction again. It's uh...testing the waters, in a way." Mike suggested.

"I suppose that's plausible, but what if he's faulty and starts glitching up?" Nathan asked, arms crossed. Now it was his turn to try and catch Mike off guard. However, the guard was prepared with an answer.

"Jeremy can fix him. He did a great job with those guys." He said, pointing his thumb at the window, where there was a clear view of the band playing. Their joints and voice boxes were completely fixed now and their performance seemed to be flowing smoothly without a problem. Nathan sighed.

"Yes, he most certainly did..." Nathan drummed his fingers on the wooden table, looking deep in thought. Mike looked around, feeling a little uncomfortable due to the sudden silence. Thankfully, it didn't last long.

"Y'know what? I like your moxie. We'll do it. Get Jeremy to fix that old fox up and we'll get the cleaning staff to tidy up that little cove. If this actually works then it means more cash for you and me! But..."

Nathan straightened out a few papers in a nonchalant manner.

"If this little plan of yours goes down the toilet then...I'm afraid I'll have to deduct your pay to cover the costs. It's _your_ idea, after all. You sure you wanna go through with it? " Nathan asked, leaning forward and resting his arms on the table. Mike looked down.

He really wanted to see Foxy shine on the stage again and make kids happy, like he was originally built to do. The poor fox was rusting away while the others were fixed up and performing again. Plus he reacted the worst when he found out that he had been killing people instead of fixing endoskeletons like he thought he was doing. Ever since then, he had tended to stay behind the curtains and rarely talked to the guard, probably worried in case he'd try to hurt him again. Mike needed to do this for him. Foxy was the one who trusted him first, he was the one who convinced the others to trust him, now was the time to return the favour and get him back to what the fox was supposed to be doing, what he _loved_ doing. Entertaining children. Even if it meant risking his payment. Mike's decision was already made.

Mike nodded. "I'm sure."

Nathan smirked slightly. "Taking chances, huh? Good! I like your style, kid." He held out his hand and Mike shook it.

"Now, tell Mr Fitzgerald to get working on Foxy as soon as he can. He doesn't need to worry about payment. After that, we'll spruce the place up a bit, eh? It's probably filled with cobwebs." Nathan said, shuddering slightly while Mike resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Of course, sir. I'll let him know." Mike said, standing up.

"Pleasure doing business with ya, kid." Nathan went back to the pile of paperwork on his desk while Mike opened the door and walked out. Being a manager must have been pretty tough work...

Closing the door behind him, he went to the exit, giving a small wave to the band as he walked past them. He couldn't help but smile when Chica grinned and and subtly waved back, pretending it was part of the routine. None of the kids or parents seemed to notice. He chuckled and made his way out. Now it was time for the second stage.

Convincing Jeremy.

xxxxx

"Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me!" Jeremy exclaimed, throwing his arms up in frustration.

It was 11:30pm. Mike had called Jeremy over to discuss the issue of fixing up Foxy. Both men were now standing outside the restaurant, under the dim light of the street lamp. So far, it wasn't going particularly well. Mike knew that Jeremy was going to be a little harder to persuade than Nathan, but he hadn't predicted...this.

"You want me to repair that fox asshole? Nope. Not happening. Sorry." Mike crossed his arms and sighed.

"Why not? You'll be getting more pay, besides, Nathan wants it to happen, he wants Pirate's Cove to be up and running again. You can't exactly go against his orders." Jeremy laughed.

"I don't give a flying fuck about what he wants. That bloody fox is bad enough with running around when he's damaged but if he's fixed up? Well, we can kiss our asses goodbye. Cuz there'll be no stopping him."

"But...he's not even hunting us. In fact, he feels terrible about it. So you shouldn't even really be worrying about that."

Jeremy shrugged. "Well, you can't exactly blame me, can you? Fucker used to charge and pounce at me like he was a bloody cheetah or something." Jeremy looked off to the side and pushed up his glasses, sighing. "Look, I'm sorry if I'm being an ass about this but I'm still a little bit jittery after last time..."

That's right. The Marionette and that Golden Freddy...what was it's name again? Fredbear or something? They had both appeared to them, locking them in the office. Even though nothing really bad happened, it was still pretty nerve-wracking. The way these animatronic ghosts acted was...a little extreme. However, Mike was still curious as to what kind of connection the fifth child had with Jeremy, he wanted to ask the mechanic, but he never really had the chance yet. That, and he was a little afraid to ask. That man had a short temper.

"Besides, Foxy was never really a favourite of mine anyway." Jeremy said, looking back at Mike.

"Why's that? I thought your problem was with Bonnie." The guard asked, tilting his head.

"It's just...my little br-" Jeremy suddenly looked uncomfortable. "No reason. I just don't like him." Mike raised an eyebrow.

"You have a younger brother?" Jeremy cringed and glared daggers at the ground.

"Had."

Mike's eyes widened slightly before he gave the mechanic a sympathetic look. So his brother was dead then. Mike knew how he felt, he had felt that same pain when his parents perished.

"I'm so sorry, Jeremy..." He said, looking down slightly. The mechanic just sighed.

"Don't be. Wasn't your fault. It was mine." Mike looked back up.

"What do you mea-" Jeremy grabbed his arm and dragged him to the door.

"The big boss wants the fox fixed, right? Better get started. Besides, you can't be late for your shift."

Mike frowned slightly. The mechanic was avoiding the subject on purpose. What could have happened? He needed to find out. They were going to have to work together if they wanted to free the children's souls. Mike had to make sure there were no secrets, especially if it had anything to do with those spirits. But he had to be tactful about it, Jeremy wasn't an easy man to read, he would need to be patient and not push the the mechanic. He would find out eventually. Just not now.

"Right, let me just open the door..." The guard mumbled, getting out his keys.

 _'Soon.'_ He thought to himself as he unlocked the door.

xxxxx

"Foxy? You in here bud?" Mike called out in a hushed voice, looking behind the curtains. He saw the fox on the stage, sitting on the large wooden treasure chest, hunched over slightly. His mechanical ears pricked up to the guard's voice and he lifted his head to look at him.

"Oh...Ahoy there, Mike..." He said, waving his hook in a halfhearted manner.

"You alright?" The guard asked, walking over. The fox looked back down.

"Aye, I just be...thinkin'." Mike gave him a sympathetic look.

"You know that wasn't your fault. You shouldn't be torturing yourself like this." He said, sitting next to the animatronic, who shifted over slightly.

"But...the way those lubbers screamed...I should 'ave known.." The guard gave the fox's arm a sympathetic pat. Although the fur was thin it was still pretty matted, he had no idea how Jeremy would fix that.

"Look. It's in the past. You should try and move on, yeah?" Foxy gave the man a small grin, his sharp teeth reflecting the light of the surrounding lamps.

"Thank ye Mike...I know yer tryin' yer best to make me feel better but...I jus' be feelin' a wee bit low. Don' you worry though. Ol' Foxy'll be back to normal in no time." Mike grinned.

 _'Oh, you have no idea.'_ Mike thought as he stood up.

"Well, I have some news that might cheer you up." Foxy tilted his head.

"Oh aye? What would tha' be, lad?"

"Well, I talked to my boss and he agreed to the idea of fixing you up. Jeremy's waiting out there for you." The guard said, pointing his thumb to the curtains. The fox seemed to perk up at this.

"So ye talked to him then?" Mike nodded.

"Yup. I never go back on my word. He said it was totally fine." Foxy got up and rubbed his chin with his hook, seemingly in thought.

"Maybe tha' ol' land lubber ain't so bad after all. Thank ye again, Mike. I really do appreciate it." Mike smiled as they both walked out of the cove. Foxy held up the curtains while Mike ducked. Jeremy was standing nearby with his arms crossed, a bored look on his face. He rolled his eyes when the guard and fox came up to him.

"Jesus. _Finally._ How long does it take to get a fucking robot off it's ass?" Foxy gave the mechanic an unamused look.

"S'cuse me matey but I'm not a robot. I be a pirate." He said, placing his hook to his chest in a proud manner.

"You're a fucking tin can." Jeremy bluntly said while Foxy narrowed his eyes, looking insulted.

Mike chuckled. "Sorry, but we had to clear something up." He turned to Foxy. "You go with Jeremy to get fixed up. I need to talk to the others about something." Foxy frowned slightly.

"Ya mean I'm stuck with this ol' bilge rat?" He asked, pointing to Jeremy, who scowled.

"Fuck you. Now hurry up. I've got better things to be doing with my time." Jeremy mumbled, walking off to the spare parts room, Foxy following behind. Mike took this opportunity to run over to the stage. It was time for the third stage; Getting the cove ready.

He would need a little extra help with this.

xxxxx

"So...Foxy gets to perform with us again?" Chica asked, bouncing lightly on her feet, her hands clasped.

"Yeah, and I want to tell him tonight. Which is why I need you guys to help me." Mike said.

They were in the middle of the dining room. All three animatronics were surprised to hear that Foxy was going to perform again, but they were happy for the fox, especially Freddy. The bear hated seeing his poor friend cooped up in that dark space all the time. Interacting with the children again would do him some good.

"What would you have us do, Mr Schmidt?" Freddy asked, stepping forward. Mike looked at him.

"So you'll help me?" The bear rolled his eyes.

"Of course. Foxy is an important part of the band. We would love nothing more than for him to join us again, isn't that right?" He asked, turning his head to Bonnie and Chica, who both nodded.

"Yeah! It'll be so much more fun with Foxy!" Chica said, smiling.

"Besides, it's about time he pulled his weight around here. All he does is mope around. It'll be good for all of us." Bonnie added, a small smirk on his features. Freddy nodded and turned back to Mike.

"Then it's decided. Just tell us what do, and we'll get it done." The bear said.

Mike had to admit, it was still a little weird, Freddy being friendly to him. Only a few nights ago, he was threatening to kill him. Now the bear was willing to help him, not to mention the way he apologised last night. He had been so...kind to the guard. Mike had never felt that reassured by words in a long time. Foxy, Bonnie and Chica were wonderful too, they made him feel like he was part of a family again. A strange family, but a family nonetheless. He knew it was stupid to feel like this, but he didn't care.

"Well, Nathan was going to get the cleaning staff to get the cove ready but...I thought it would mean more if we done it. Jeremy's repairing Foxy right now so we got plenty of time to do it. I know he's been feeling bad about...y'know.." He trailed off.

Both Bonnie and Chica visibly deflated while Freddy kept a calm look and nodded. Mike continued.

"So I thought this would really lift up his mood if we fixed up his cove and make it really special for him. What do you think?" Mike asked. Freddy smiled.

"You just keep on surprising us, Mr Schmidt. I think it's a wonderful idea."

"Not bad at all. I think we can get behind that." Bonnie said.

Chica grabbed Mike and gave him a bone-crushing hug.

"I love it!" She exclaimed. Mike tried to push himself off as his ribs started to groan.

"Great...my ribs...oxygen...please let go..." He wheezed out. She immediately let him go, making him nearly fall to the ground. Thankfully Bonnie managed to grab him and hold him upright while he gasped for breath.

"Damn, girl...you really need to give me a small warning before you do that..." Mike said, holding his diaphragm. Chica gave him a sheepish look as Bonnie let him go.

"Sorry..." She mumbled. Mike let out a small chuckle. "It's alright. Now come on, we should probably get started. Jeremy can work pretty fast."

All of the animatronics nodded and followed Mike to Pirate's Cove.

xxxxx

"There...all done.." Mike stood back to admire their work.

The curtains were wide open to reveal a beautiful pirate themed room and stage. The carpets were hoovered, bringing out the golden colour of the sand and the bright blue of the sea. The wooden model of the ship and had been polished, making it appear brand new. The treasure chest on the stage had also been dusted off and cleaned up. The whole room just seemed...brighter and more colourful than before. The lamps were still the only light source since they couldn't turn on the stage lights, the power still needed to be conserved after all. It had taken a few hours, but it was worth it. Mike just hoped Foxy would be pleased with it.

He instantly tensed when he felt a heavy paw on his shoulder and looked up to see Freddy.

"Not bad, huh?" The bear asked. He took a breath and calmed down.

"It's great. Thanks for your help. I couldn't have done it without you guys." He said.

"No argument there." Bonnie said, walking over with Chica. "You humans are so frail, it's no wonder you break so easily." Mike gave the bunny a deadpan look.

"Gee. Thanks." Chica nudged his arm.

"Do you think Foxy will like it?" The guard gave her a smile.

"I'm sure he'll love it." He said.

"Alright you titanium piece of shit, get back to your bloody cove. I think Mike said something about a surprise or some crap like that."

They all turned to the sound of Jeremy's voice. He must have been finished.

"A surprise? Fer wee ol' Foxy? Ah, he shouldn't 'ave." Foxy's voice sounded out from the spare parts room. The animatronics took their places while Mike walked towards the noise. He found Jeremy and Foxy standing right outside the room.

"Damn right he shouldn't have..." Jeremy looked over to Mike as he made his way over. "Speak of the devil". Foxy turned and greeted him.

"Ahoy there Mike!" The fox cheerily said. Mike blinked in surprise.

Foxy looked completely brand new. The holes were patched up and his endoskeleton legs were now covered up with the rest of the suit, which appeared to be brown. His thin, matted fur now looked sleek and smooth. The colour of the fur was also a much brighter shade of red, making it much more aesthetically pleasing.

"Damn. You're looking pretty good." Mike said, looking him over. He turned to Jeremy.

"You've really outdone yourself." The mechanic gave him a tired nod.

"I know, my hands are killing me. Asshole wouldn't stop moving about." Foxy shot him a look.

"I said I be sorry." Jeremy shut the door behind him and slung his bag over his shoulder.

"Whatever. I'm going home to get some fucking rest. Have fun with the thing. Whatever it is." He mumbled, walking off. Leaving only Mike and Foxy.

"So what be the surprise?" The fox asked, excitement in his voice. Mike gave him a sly smile.

"Just follow me and you'll see." He said, walking off. The fox right on his heel.

"But you gotta cover your eyes." Foxy gave him a skeptical look.

"Why?" Mike smirked.

"Because it's a surprise." The animatronic shrugged but done it away, using his good hand to cover his eye, his other one was covered with the patch. Mike took his arm and led him to Pirate's Cove. The others were standing in front of the cove. They all smiled when they saw the guard and fox come into view.

He let go of Foxy's arm and ran over to stand next to Bonnie.

"Ok, you ready?" Mike asked. Foxy nodded.

"Open 'em!" The fox put his arm down and opened his eye. His patch also flipped up as both his eyes seemed to widen.

"Welcome to the new and improved Pirate's Cove!" Chica said, gesturing to the room. Freddy, Bonnie and Mike stepped to the side, allowing Foxy to walk in.

"Me cove...ye done up me cove..." He whispered, still staring. He didn't seem to be showing much emotion. Mike's smile faded slightly. Was...was he mad? Freddy also seemed to notice this and walked over to the stunned fox.

"Mr Schmidt thought it would be nice if we cleaned the place up a little. After all, the room needs to be spotless for the children." Foxy quickly turned his head to the guard.

"Children...?" Mike smiled.

"That's right. It took some doing, but I managed to convince Nathan to get you back in business again. It's nothing too big, just a meet and greet with the kids to get them used to you. If that goes well then...yeah, you're gonna be part of the show again." He said.

Foxy looked down. "Ye...ye done all tha' fer me...?"

Mike frowned slightly. "Of course. You've already done so much for me so I thought I'd return the favour." The fox didn't respond.

"Do you...like it?" The guard asked, taking a tentative step towards the animatronic. He was surprised when the fox pulled him in with his good arm for a gentle embrace.

"I do. Ye've given me a purpose again. Thank ye so much, Mikey..." He whispered, tightening his hold slightly. Mike returned the hug.

"You're welcome, Foxy."

"Group hug!" Chica grabbed them both. Foxy gave a gruff chuckle while Mike's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

"Chica...warning.." Bonnie joined in, hugging them in a much gentler way.

"Calm down Mike, she won't kill you." The bunny said with a smirk.

"You don't know that..." The guard grumbled. Freddy watched them all with a small grin. Foxy held out his hooked arm.

"C'mon bear boss. You too." The bear rolled his eyes.

"Very well, if you insist." He said, coming over to join them. "But do not breathe a word of this to anyone. I still have a reputation to uphold."

Bonnie gave him a deadpan look.

"Who would we tell?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Was that too fluffy? I dunno, I kinda wanted a family vibe to this chapter. If it was then fear not! The story is going to start progressing now, which means more drama, and more ghosts *Wink, wink*. But until then. Peace out!


	11. The Secret

So. That darn writer's block, huh? Heh. Please don't hate me. A lot of things have actually kept me away from this, but I'm not gonna bore you with the details or anything, however I will apologise for the wait, don't worry, I will finish this story! So without any further delay, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

XXXXXXXXXX

Foxy's re-introduction to the restaurant and more importantly, the children, was a huge success.

Pirate's Cove was brimming with energy as kids ran around, climbed on the wooden ship and talked with Foxy. The animatronic himself also seemed to be filled with new life as he interacted with the children, taking pictures with them and making sure everybody was playing fair. A few of the day staff were now stationed at Pirate's Cove too, just to make sure everything ran smoothly.

Mike beamed at the sight. He was pretty sure that Nathan would have no choice now but to officially put Foxy back in the show with the other animatronics. After all, the fox was a huge hit, and that meant more cash for the restaurant.

"Michael!" A cheery voice called out.

Speak of the devil.

"Good to see that everything's going just swell over here. This idea of yours was brilliant! I never doubted you for a moment, son" He said, putting a hand on Mike's shoulder, who grimaced slightly.

"You threatened to deduct my pay if it hadn't worked..." The guard mumbled. Nathan just waved a dismissive hand.

"Oh, come now! Look at 'em all! They sure look happy, huh?" Nathan asked, gesturing to the kids. Mike glanced over to Foxy, who was letting a little girl stroke his fur. He smiled at the sight.

"Yeah. They do."

This got Mike thinking. He remembered Freddy and Chica saying something about them being restricted to only roaming the restaurant at night. They were stuck on stage during the day. He glanced over to the band, who were playing one of their many songs. Maybe...

"Sir?" Mike piped up. Nathan glanced down.

"Yeah? What is it?" He asked. Mike got a little nervous. He had been pretty lucky with convincing his boss to bring back Pirate's Cove. He didn't want to push for anything else, after all, he still had his job to worry about. Nathan may have been happy-go-lucky, but he wasn't a pushover. He decided to take the chance though.

"Well, I was just wondering...since Foxy's been a hit with the kids and all...maybe the other animatronics could roam around and interact as well. They are the main mascots of the restaurant after all." Mike said, gesturing to the band. Nathan put a hand to his chin in thought as he looked over.

"Well...you have a point. But these are early days, my boy. Everything's went pretty smooth so far...but that doesn't mean accidents can't happen."

Mike shuddered slightly. He remembered Freddy saying something similar to him...

"But uh...think of all the money they could bring in." Mike suggested, using Nathan's weak point. The older man went silent for a moment before beaming. Mike could have sworn he saw dollar signs in his eyes.

"Now that you mention it, well, there's no time like the present eh? Go get that good ol' Jeremy to unlock their free roam mode and uh...get him to spruce 'em up a bit. I've noticed that they've began to smell a little...funky lately." Nathan said as he scrunched up his nose slightly.

Mike's face lit up slightly. "Oh thank you, sir! I'll tell him as soon as I can." Nathan nodded but gave him a skeptical look.

"As much as I appreciate what you're doing for this place...I'm also a little curious. Why go through all this bother? You seem awful...fond of those animatronics. You _do_ know they're just robots right?"

 _'Oh, you have no idea sir...'_ Mike thought as he just smiled.

"Like I said before, sir. This place meant a lot to me as a kid and-"

"Yeah, yeah. You told me already." Nathan interrupted, holding his hand up. "Well, whatever floats your boat, kid. Anyway, I gotta run, and thanks again, you've really helped us out. In fact, if you keep it up then I may even give you a promotion in the future! Who knows? Toodles!" Nathan walked off and Mike blinked as he was left alone.

"Can't believe that actually worked..." He mumbled to himself.

The guard glanced over to Foxy, who waved at him with his hook. He smiled back and nodded his head before walking towards the exit, frowning slightly. He would need to find Jeremy now, and not just to talk about the animatronics. There were things that they needed to clear up, and like his boss said, there was no time like the present.

He pushed open the doors and made his way to the bus stop.

xxxxx

Mike had managed to make it to Jeremy's house without too many problems. He made a few wrong turns, but he finally made it. He would need to make a mental map of the path though. It wasn't exactly the easiest place to find.

Thankfully, Jeremy was in and they got talking. They were both sitting on a leather couch in the living room, which was surprisingly spacious. However, it was pretty dark due to the curtains blocking out the sunlight. Geez, what was this guy, a vampire or something?

The mechanic had agreed to come in tonight to unlock the animatronics's free roam mode. He wasn't exactly thrilled, but he agreed to do it. However, he was not so keen on discussing the other reason that the guard had sought him out.

"Look Mike...I'm not entirely...comfortable talking about this shit. I mean, it's fucking messed up." Jeremy rubbed the back of his neck.

"I know but you can't keep running away from this. That golden bear...thing said so. He'll probably show his face again and you saw what he done with those doors, there'll be no escaping him if he does decide to turn up." Jeremy winced slightly but Mike decided to continue on. "And we've gotta be ready for anything. The puppet said something about the back room..." Jeremy raised an eyebrow.

"Back room?" Mike nodded.

"Yeah. There's this room that's at the very back of the resraurant. It was pretty damn hard to find since it's completely boarded up. Whoever blocked it off _really_ didn't want anybody to find it."

Jeremy hummed for a moment before looking back at Mike. "You think Nathan was the one who blocked it?"

Mike frowned slightly. "I dunno. Nathan seems pretty unaware of the whole situation. All he cares about is the business and how much profit he can make. I sincerely doubt he knows anything about the ghosts."

Jeremy shrugged. "True. But he _is_ in charge of the entire restaurant."

"I know..." Mike mumbled. "But it doesn't matter. We have to find out what's in there."

Jeremy gave him a deadpan look. "You are joking, right?"

Mike shook his head. "Nope." The ebony haired mechanic rolled his eyes and pushed up his glasses.

"That room was probably hidden for a reason. Even those ghost bastards don't wanna tell us what's in there."

"Which is exactly why we need to find out." Jeremy just gave him an annoyed look.

"You're a right stubborn little bitch, aren't you?" The guard shrugged.

"Not like we have much of a choice in the matter."

The mechanic sighed and rubbed his temples. "...Fine. I'll fix up those furry bastards tonight. It's the free roam mode thing Nathan wants unlocked, right?" Mike nodded.

"Yeah. But...about the kid-" Jeremy held up his hand, silencing the guard.

"I'll explain tonight, alright? I...need to get my thoughts together." Jeremy glanced to the side and Mike followed his trail of sight, he stopped when he saw what appeared to be an old Foxy plush sitting on the table. However, it's head seemed to be missing. Almost like it was...torn off or something.

Mike gestured to the doll. "What uh...happened to it's head?" He nearly jumped when Jeremy stood up and glared daggers at him.

"What's it to you? Huh? It's none of your fucking business, alright?" Mike stuttered.

"I-I...was just curious..." He flinched when the mechanic gave a bitter laugh.

"Oh sure you were. You just want to fucking rub it in, don't ya? I know what I done! There's not a day that goes by when I'm not fucking reminded of it!" Jeremy was nearly shouting at this stage but immediately stopped as he clutched at his head. "Ah shit..."

Mike was completely dumbfounded. He had no idea where that outburst came from, he quickly glanced at the plush. Maybe he had brought up some sort of bad memory. He took a tentative step forward and slowly reached out his hand toward Jeremy.

"Hey...you ok?" The mechanic shook his head and took a few steps back.

"S-sorry. I just need some time to myself." He slumped onto the couch and rubbed his forehead. "I'll see you tonight, yeah?"

Mike frowned in a concerned manner but slowly nodded. "Yeah...sure, I understand. I'll...see you later."

He made his way to the door and glanced over his shoulder. Jeremy just sat there, staring at the headless Foxy plush. Mike sighed and closed the door behind him. What on earth was that all about? He knew the mechanic had a short temper but...that was just completely out of the blue.

He shook his head. Tonight, he was definetly going to get some answers. No more secrets. With that thought in mind, he made his way home, he still had time to kill before his shift started. Besides, he desperately needed a shower.

xxxxx

"So...we'll get to interact with the children again?" Freddy asked, tilting his head slightly.

It was 12:30am and Mike was in the dining area with the other animatronics. Due to the darkness, he decided to bring his flashlight so he could maneuver his way throught the restaurant more easily. Much to the dismay of Foxy.

"Yep. Since Foxy's pretty much a big hit, Nathan wants you guys to be able to walk around and stuff too. So Jeremy's coming in to unlock your free roam mode." Mike explained. Chica clasped her hands together and bounced lightly on the spot.

"Oh, this is gonna be great! We'll be able to play again! It's so boring being stuck on that lame stage..." She took a moment to glare at it, Mike rose an eyebrow while Bonnie gave an exasperated sigh.

"That _lame_ stage is actually pretty special, after all we've been performing on it for years." The violet bunny's ears seemed to perk up slightly. "Although I gotta admit, it'll be nice to walk around when there's actual people here. Tell that boss guy we said thanks."

Mike sweatdropped as he gave the rabbit a deadpan look. "I don't really think I can do that. He already thinks I'm crazy enough as it is..." The animatronic smirked slightly and poked the guard in a teasing manner.

"Maybe you are crazy." Mike gave the animatronic an annoyed frown.

"Well, that's gratitude for you."

"Bonnie." Freddy gave him a look and the rabbit took a step back, holding up his hands.

"I'm kidding. Geez..." Freddy narrowed his eyes before looking at Mike.

"In all seriousness though, we are very thankful. This is a very pleasant surprise indeed, Mr Schmidt." Mike gave a sheepish smile.

"Don't mention it..." He almost jumped when he felt a curved object nudging his shoulder, when he looked to his right he saw what looked like Foxy's hook. This time he did jump, making the animatronic quickly pull away. Chica managed to catch the guard by his shoulders, making sure he didn't fall back.

"Whoah there, lad! I only wanted to ask ye something." Foxy said, holding up his hand. Mike managed to balance himself and sighed in relief and embarassment. Bonnie tried to surpress a chuckle but failed miserably. He did manage to stop though as Freddy once again shot the rabbit a look.

Mike rubbed the back of his head. "S-sorry. But whoever designed you made that hook so... _sharp._ " The fox gave him an amused look.

"Tis alright. I understan'. But eh...I was jus' wonderin' if there were any word o' me gettin' back in the show...?" The guard gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Sorry buddy...but these are still early days. You just gotta be patient."

Foxy seemed to deflate as he looked down. "Oh..."

Mike quickly tried to make an attempt to cheer the animatronic up. "But! You're really making a name for yourself, so I think it's only a matter of time before you get back on the show." Thankfully, it seemed to work as the fox's ears perked up.

"Ya really think so lad?" Bonnie rolled his eyes and slapped a paw onto Foxy's shoulder.

"Well duh. You've been stealing our audience. Of course they're gonna let you perform again." Freddy nodded.

"Of course. They would be foolish not to."

The sound of knocking sounded throughout the restaurant and everyone turned their heads to the main doors. Mike fumbled around his pockets for the keys as he made his way to the doors.

"Damn. He's pretty early." The guard mumbled as he unlocked the doors, opening them to a somber looking Jeremy.

"Hey." Mike greeted, stepping to the side. Jeremy just nodded and came in, walking towards the animatronics.

"Alright. Who's first?" The three animatronics looked at eachother before Bonnie stepped forward. "I'll go first." The rabbit stated. The mechanic nodded and gestured for the animatronic to follow him to the spare parts room. As the door closed, Mike rejoined the group, who were now staring at the door. After a few moments, Freddy looked down to the guard.

"Is he alright?" Mike sighed and shook his head.

"Honestly? I don't know. I'm gonna have a little chat with him once he's done with you guys." Chica tilted her head.

"Mike?" He glanced at her.

"Yeah?"

"Are we gonna have to wait long? I'm bored." The guard chuckled.

"Well, let's see if we can find something to do to pass the time..."

xxxxx

Forty minutes and five games of hide and seek later, Jeremy was finally done. He dusted off his hands as he came out of the room with Freddy behind him. The bear tilted his hat to the mechanic, who just rose an eyebrow.

"Thank you very much, Mr Fitzgerald. We're grateful for all that you've done for us."

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "Whatever. As long as I get paid."

They both turned to the sound of panting, only to see Mike stumbling towards them with a crazed look and beads of sweat running down his face. Both Jeremy and Freddy gave him a strange look.

"Mr Schmidt, you look terrible. What on earth happened to you?"

"Yeah, you look like you've been running from fucking Slenderman or something." Mike took a moment to catch his breath.

"Never...play hide and seek...with giant robots...in the dark." Freddy chuckled.

"Chica, hm? Yes, she was always very skilled at that game." Mike gave a shaky nod.

"You don't say? Anyway..." He wiped his forehead and looked at Jeremy. "We need to talk."

The mechanic sighed and gave a curt nod. "Not here. Let's go to that office of yours." Mike looked to Freddy.

"We'll catch up with you and the others later. You don't...mind, do you?" The bear shook his head.

"Of course not. I understand. We'll see you when you are ready." With that, the animatronic walked off to join the others. Mike and Jeremy went to the office. The guard sat on the table while the mechanic took the chair. They sat in silence for a few moments before Mike decided to speak up.

"So...you wanna tell me what's going on? Fredbear said that the fifth child...misses you. What did he mean by that?"

Jeremy sat back. "Well, since we're already too deep in this shit, I may as well tell you the whole story. You better listen because I'm not repeating myself. It's already hard enough to talk about it as it is."

Mike silently nodded. Jeremy sat up and started.

"So my dad used to work at this restaurant, back then it was called...'Fredbear's Family Diner' or some shit like that. Anyway, my dad worked there, he was on the day shift, I think. Helped out with the springlock suits and-"

"Springlock suits?" Mike questioned. Jeremy shot him a glare.

"Don't interrupt me." The guard nodded his head quickly, muttering an apology. Jeremy continued on.

"So yeah, there were these special suits where people could get inside them if they wound up the springs to get all that endoskeleton shit outta the way. They were right dodgy though, if the springs got moist then they would snap, instantly killing the person inside. I think there were two of 'em. A bear and a rabbit. Anyway, back to what I was saying. My mother hated my dad, they got a divorce and she wanted nothing more to do with me or him. She loved my little brother though."

Jeremy took a moment to shake his head. Mike couldn't help but notice the bitter look on his face.

"She always came to see him, completely ignored me, and I fucking hated them both for it. So because of that, I went out of my way to torment the poor little bastard. I...I was horrible to him. He was really timid and shy and I...used that to my advantage. He _hated_ the animatronics. He was proper scared of them. So I...put on a Foxy mask and scared the absolute shit out of him whenever I could, and I mean I used _every_ opportunity I could get."

Mike blinked. _'Geez...that's awful..'_ The guard thought to himself as Jeremy continued on.

"Because of that, he was constantly crying. In fact, I don't think I ever saw him with a dry face, but being the bastard that I am, I didn't really give a shit. This was payback. Dad never really paid it much heed, he was too busy with his job. Then...there was the accident. I...didn't mean for it to happen. I honestly didn't..."

Jeremy clenched his eyes shut and Mike hopped off the table to put a hand on his back, rubbing it in a soothing manner.

"Hey...it's alright. Just take your time." The guard coaxed.

"I-I'm fine. It's just...hard to talk about." Mike nodded and went back to the table, giving Jeremy some time to prepare himself.

"So...it was my brother's birthday and...I told dad to give him a big party at the one place that he hated most, the diner. Due to the discounts that he'd get, my dad agreed and despite my brother's protests, the party happened. We invited a bunch of kids, most of them were my friends though, since my brother didn't really have any. We...thought it would be funny if we got him closer to the animatronics...so we...grabbed him and took him to the stage..."

Mike frowned. He wasn't really sure if he liked where this was going.

"We got him really close to Fredbear and...we...we shoved him into it's mouth. He started...kicking and...screaming...but he couldn't get out. We all just stood there laughing. The robot started to malfunction...and...and..."

Jeremy's voice started to break and Mike's eyes widened slightly.

"It bit down on him. He...he just went limp."

Mike's face was one of complete horror. He looked down as he whispered, "Oh my God..."

At this point, Jeremy was hunched over with his hands completely covering his face, sobbing uncontrollably.

"I killed him! _I_ killed him!"

Mike, once again, put a hand on the mechanic's back as he contined to sob. The guard didn't know what to say but he tried to offer some form of comfort.

"Look, if the fifth child is your brother...then you can still save him. We just need to find out what's in that back room and...get rid of it somehow. You still have a chance to make things right. Sitting here and crying isn't gonna help him though. You get what I'm saying?"

Jeremy hastily wiped his eyes and nodded weakly. "Y-yeah...I'm in. Just...let me grab my toolbox and we'll go right now." As Jeremy got up and made his way down the hallway, Mike was left alone with his thoughts. Unbeknownst to him, the Marionette and Fredbear had been watching the entire time.

 _"We finally have a chance to end this."_ The puppet whispered.

 _ **"Yes. The child wants to move on. They all do."**_ Fredbear replied.

The puppet gave him a worried look. _"But...we still have to deal with...him."_

The golden bear gave a light chuckle. _**"Do not worry so much. Everything will be fine. Besides. Tomorrow is another day."**_

XXXXXXXXXX

Don't worry, this story will not go unfinished, I promise. I just really needed to take a break to clear my mind, and I didn't wanna give you guys complete crap. Also I really tried to smoothly tie in Fnaf 4 into this story but I'm not really sure if I've succeeded. At least I tried! Anyway, leave a review, fave etc, if you can. It really means a lot to me. Till next time. Peace out!


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